The Glasschains
by Weener1
Summary: A nostalgic reunion as one is disturbed whilst far away the Glasschains shatter.
1. The Flames Relit

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REDUX by me and Jamesbondkid2001! (prays)

* * *

A wise woman once said, "A peaceful life is bound by chains of glass. It is only a matter of time and grace before they shatter". Many hold this to be true, but to what extent? Because of the Universe being governed by fate, one can assume that this bit of wisdom will deem true at some point in the comic matrix of time. Now, let the Great Eye of the Universe refer you to the events portrayed in the chapter of The Cosmic Codex titled 'Helix'. There can be seen the first portion of this tale. The events leading up to eventual peace. At the moment Dagon returned the girls involved back to Japan the glass chains had already begun to encompass their lives. As for Dagon, the effects were far different.

Here the chains begin to shatter, thus the Great Eye of the Universe presents to you:

**The Glasschains**

Dagon felt a sense of solace returning from Japan. He had gone forth with a measure that defied all his predecessors. He had fought for peace and destroyed a part of himself in order for that to be fulfilled. Yet, was he the lesser man? Was his choice best or his race? He pondered this and nodded; yes, indeed it was. No fear, for the evolution towards a benevolent coexistence with the human race took far more effort and willfulness than driving towards war. He knew his methods would be questioned by the others; but in time they would come to realize as well.

The pilotless ship slowed to a slightly rough halt in the hanger high upon Mount Shasta in northern California. It was a mountain known for its resident paranormal phenomena. Lights, odd UFOs, etcetera. In fact, each and every phenomena was produced in some way by the Dagon who had been living there since the advent of man's existence upon the Earth. It was their home away from home, so to say.

Dagon rose from his chair and retrieved his note-slate before stepping towards the door. He never made it more than three steps.

A small hiss was heard moments before Dagon felt a prick in his left tricep and his face contorted with immense pain. It was rare for a Dagon to scream, but at this moment the pain was simply too intense for him to handle without vocalization. He gripped at where the prick first began, not knowing exactly what was going on. He had a fear, and that fear was assuaged when as he ripped through the arm of his jacket, his flesh came along with it in horrible bloody chunks.

He grit his teeth moments before they fell out. He blinked back tears moments before they were reduced to jellied blobs that ran like black oil. In moments the valourous Dagon was reduced to an unrecognizable pile of bloody gristle and sinew that lay atop a skeleton; picked clean.

It was only then that the three men emerged from the rear of the ship where they had been stowing away; three men that looked like carbon copies of the man that just died. Indeed, they were Dagon and since Dagon do not have names as many mortals do; the Great Eye of the Universe will do the reader a favour and refer to them as X, Y and Z.

X was the tallest of the group by a head. He emitted author; a born leader in a sense. He was also the one whose hands were directly stained with blood, for he had fired the Class C Vorpal Lysis Demodulator moments before.

Y was the middle-man; known for his skill in genetic manipulation. He was an expert at the ins-and-outs of every machine in the Dagon base. He was also famous for his shark-toothed grin that he prided himself on by filing his teeth into such a shape.

Z was a former pilot who had been demoted to the more 'humble' position of servitor ever since he had been accused to insubordination many years ago. Needless to say, he was an unhappy man.

"Easier than had been though.", Y said, flashing his grin.

"Indeed.", responded X, picking up Dagon's note-slate.

"Is that it?", Z asked, leaning over to get a look.

"I believe so.", X said, using Dagon's now-bloody stylus to scroll through the slate.

He pushed the scroll bar through the stored information and hit upon what was called in Dagon terms a 'Trial Experiment' in which electronically stored DNA codes are combined to give a possible outcome.

Y grinned as he read over X's shoulder.

"Perfect.", he hissed.

X nodded. The information fit their plan. No need to go about combining codes. Thus a large chunk of time was cut from the eventual outcome.

"Could she kill?", Z asked, referring to the child formed in the Trial Experiment.

"With time.", Y noted. "We need not strike immediately."

X stepped past Dagon's bones and melted flesh and down the now-extended exit ramp. The others followed.

"We begin immediately. Oh..", X said.

"Yes?", Z asked.

"Burn the ship."

* * *

We now advance time five years and return our attention to the girls in Japan. For the moment, the Great Eye of the Universe shall turn towards Tomo Takino and Koyomi Mizuhara. Events change people, that is well known. Due to the inclusion of Koyomiko in their life, Tomo and Yomi learned to love one another. It was six months after the events portrayed in 'Helix' that they first shared an intimate moment. The event was more than just intimate, it was a soul-bonding journey to the center of their being. From the moment they smiled at each other after the event, they knew that fate had chosen them to not leave the side of the other. Indeed, they found an apartment to live in. They even went to the same collage. Tomo pursued her dream of becoming a police officer and Yomi obtained a degree in literature which she used to write a column in the local paper on family life. Raising Koyomiko was indeed a challenge though. Being born at the age of seven, she was long overdue for lessons in society and academics. Initially it was difficult for Koyomiko to adapt to having to go to school. She simply did not understand why she couldn't learn at home. Albeit, this made it difficult for her to gain friends. After many years of stressful ins and outs, Koyomiko changed when the hormones of adolescence hit her. She seemed to comprehend faster, understand better, and in general be a better, more well-rounded person. As this is written they are planning for a party with all their old friends, who have recently returned to visit.

"I can't wait!!", Koyomiko cheered as Tomo, Yomi and her bustled about in preparation for the party they were throwing that day.

All the old friends of the family were back in town and had the time to come to the apartment for a get-together. Osaka, Chiyo-chan, Sakaki, Kagura, Chihiro and Kaorin; all of them were going to see one another for the first time in years.

"They should be getting here soon, right?', Tomo asked, setting out a basket of snacks.

Yomi nodded. Being a normally unexcitable person, she repressed all her anticipation for that day. Even if it was not outwardly shown, she truly wished to see all her friends again. It had been years, after all.

As Koyomiko shifted the couch around to make more room, a knock came at the door.

Everyone's heart flew into their throat. Someone had arrived. Koyomiko was the first one to open the door; and on the doorstep stood Kaorin and Chihiro.

"Kaori-san! Chihiro-san!", Koyomiko cried, throwing her arms around each of them in turn.

"Hello there, Koyomiko-chan!", Kaorin said. "Wow, you've grown a lot!"

Koyomiko giggled and stepped back. Tomo and Yomi then gave their 'hello's'; Yomi with a hug and Tomo with a rather violent pat on the back.

"Great to see you too, Tomo….", Kaorin grinned through the obvious pain.

"So what the heck you guys been up to?", Tomo asked.

"Oh, you know….", Kaorin began. "I have a Master's degree in Astronomy."

"Teacher, eh? Pfft! Lame!", Tomo said.

"Shh, Tomo! That's quite the accomplishment, you know!", Yomi chastised.

"What about you, Chihiro?", Tomo questioned.

"I just work for a bank downtown.", she laughed nervously.

Tomo grinned and whipped out her service revolver, pointing it at Chihiro's head. Short screams came from the all assembled.

"Better not think about robbing that bank or I'll have to arrest ya!", Tomo laughed, holstering her gun.

"Why the heck do you carry that in the house!?", Yomi screamed.

"It's fun?", Tomo shrugged.

Sighs emitted all around, but they were all soon engrossed in small talk as they waited for others to arrive. Twenty minutes later another knock came from the door.

"I'll get it!", Koyomiko cried and jumped to her feet, snatching for the door which she managed to scramble open.

Standing on the other side was Kagura.

"Kagura-san!", Koyomiko yelled, gripping her arms around the woman's waist tightly.

Kagura didn't respond. She just glared angrily at the child wrapped around her waist.

Koyomiko pulled back, and noticed that Kagura still angrily glared at her.

"K-Kagura-san?" Koyomiko asked.

Kagura pushed herself past Koyomiko without a word.

"Oi, Kagura-san!" Tomo came in, filled with energy.

"Hey, Tomo" Kagura said grumpily, as she sat down in a chair.

"Eh? Something wrong?" Tomo asked.

"Nah…it's nothing." Kagura said. In all truth, it was something. Kagura had lost her job a few days ago. It was another in a line of jobs she had already lost.

"Kagura, seriously, what's wrong?" Kaorin asked.

"It's nothing, now just back off!!" Kagura yelled.

A moment of silence followed. Then another knock on the door came.

"I-I'll get it…" Koyomiko replied. She couldn't help but feel like Kagura was now watching her like a hawk that watches its prey.

Koyomiko opened the door, and found Osaka standing there, a ghostly look on her face.

"Th-that's the l-last time I ask Y-Yukari-chan for a ride…" Osaka replied.

"Ouch. Shoulda known better, Osaka." Tomo said, giving her a wildcat grin.

"I couldn' help it. I was runnin' late, and she jus' happened to be passin' by." Osaka replied as she walked in.

"Well, you could have called me; I would have given you a ride." Kagura said.

"Well, I tried, bu' the phone kept sayin' yer line was disconnected, or somethin'" Osaka replied.

At this, Kagura flinched. That's right, she had forgotten. Thanks to her job loss, she couldn't even pay the phone bill.

"Kagura-san, are you sure nothing's wrong?" Chihiro asked.

"I'm fine! I can take care of myself!!" Kagura yelled.

"So, Osaka…" Yomi said, hoping to change the subject to something better "What have you been up to?"

"Ah, well…I got some paper…that says I'm good at Philosophy or summin'..", Osaka droned.

"You mean a degree?', Chihiro asked.

Osaka held her hand to her own forehead, shaking her head.

"Nope, I dun got a temperature."

Yomi groaned. "She means a college degree."

"Oh, yeah…one of those…", Osaka responded.

More small talk ensued, with Tomo leading the conversation as always. Osaka interjected every once in awhile and Kagura grumpily sat and listened, glad that her own life was off of the conversation list.

Then a third knock came at the door. Thusly, Koyomiko vaulted for the handle and opened it. Standing outside was Chiyo and Sakaki; each with a smile plastered on their face.

Koyomiko gasped in astonishment and hugged Chiyo first, for she had grown quite a bit herself since Koyomiko had last seen her.

Indeed, Chiyo was now nearly as tall as Yomi and had begun to fill out in her chest. Her figure was also quite spectacular to behold. It was definitely a shock to all those assembled.

As Koyomiko turned to hug Sakaki, Tomo approached.

"Dammit!", she cursed. "Chiyo-chan! How the heck did your boobs get bigger than mine already!?"

Chiyo blushed profusely upon being targeted.

"Umm…uhh….I don't know…", she mumbled.

"Come on in, you two." Yomi said with a smile.

Chiyo and Sakaki silently sauntered in and took their seats beside Osaka. Osaka perked up form whatever world she dwelled in and asked them how they had been recently.

"You been goin' to those crazy American schools, Chiyo-chan?", she asked.

Chiyo shook her head.

"No. I was accepted into a few though, but I'm not sure where I wish to go yet."

Osaka nodded swiftly.

"Good, cuz yer gonna get shot."

Silence abounded with a disturbed face plastered on Chiyo-chan.

"Anyhow…speaking of school, how is Koyomiko doing?" Chiyo asked, flipping the subject away from potential murder.

"I'm doing ok." Koyomiko said.

"Okay!?", Tomo interjected. "You have all A's this semester!"

Koyomiko blushed, showing her natural modesty at praise.

"Oh! That's great!", Chiyo chirped.

Sakaki gazed at this scene in wonderment. Tomo and Yomi were hugging their blushing daughter in effect of praise. She could feel the contentment and pride flowing from them like a levee had just burst. A tear came to her eye that she quickly wiped away. Although Sakaki was happy that she had made it through veterinary school, she still longed for that purveying bond that family created. Even when Tomo put Koyomiko in a playful headlock, she nearly broke down seeing as it was an endearing gesture of love from mother to daughter, even if it was Tomo's own special brand of love.

"How old is Koyomiko now anyway?" Kaorin asked.

"I'm almost thirteen!" she said.

"Yep! In three months!", Tomo said.

This information struck Sakaki right where it hurt; the heart. Her eyes welled up and her chest felt compressed. As steely as she normally was, those walls were shaken and immediately shattered. She stood and headed for the door.

"Excuse me.." she mumbled as she exited.

The rest sat in stunned silence. Koyomiko was the first to speak in a stuttered voice.

"W-was it something I said?"

"No.", Chiyo informed the saddened girl. "I'll go see what is going on…"

Thusly, she stood and followed after Sakaki.

* * *

Chiyo walked outside the Takino-Mizuhara household to find Sakaki, sitting on the curb, crying into her hands.

"Sakaki-san?"

"Oh, Chiyo-chan" Sakaki said. She quickly wiped away her tears.

"Maybe you could have hidden your sadness away from me five years ago, Sakaki-san, but today, I'm much more grown up" Chiyo said.

"I'm…sorry." Sakaki replied, handing her head. "I just don't want to bring down the mood of the party in there."

Chiyo knelt down behind Sakaki, and wrapped her arms around Sakaki's neck, placing her chin on Sakaki's shoulder

"Sakaki-san, please tell me what's wrong. We're friends."

"I…can't ever forget her." Sakaki said. "It would have been five years ago today that she died so horribly."

Then it all came flooding back to Chiyo. Kaede, her body falling apart, and the two of them witnessing something that neither of them ever should have…

"And…I keep wondering to myself…would things have been different if she would have been alive today?" Sakaki said, the tears welling up in her eyes.

"You can't ask yourself that, Sakaki-san." Chiyo said. "What happened that night happened for a reason."

"What reason did she have to die like that? Even though she looked sixteen, her mind was like that of a child's, Chiyo-chan; a child's!" Sakaki said, her voice deathly serious. Then suddenly, she just calmed down. "No child should ever have to die."

Chiyo could feel the sadness well up inside herself as well. Sakaki was telling the absolute truth. Chiyo herself had just been using excuse after excuse to cover up the pain she felt all these years.

"I…still have nightmares…of that night." Sakaki said.

"So do I, Sakaki-san. I…can always see her body…just…just…"

Sakaki felt her pants get wet a bit. She realized that Chiyo was crying. Sakaki reached up and grabbed hold of Chiyo's hand as a sign of comfort.

"Did you ever wonder…if she had lived, if we would have ever come to love each other?" Sakaki said.

Chiyo blushed slightly. "What?"

Sakaki suddenly got a deep dark blush on her face. "Uh…n-nothing."

A moment of awkward silence passed. Chiyo, now 18, and Sakaki, now 22, sat quiet.

"You know…" Chiyo said. "I…always wondered how I would explain to my parents how we suddenly had a child that was older than I was"

Sakaki smiled a bit.

Another moment of awkward silence passed.

"But…what was this about…loving?" Chiyo asked.

Sakaki blushed. "Um…i-it's…nothing…"

"C'mon, Sakaki-san, tell me." Chiyo pleaded. "I need to know, please."

-Chiyo, despite being 18, still had something planted inside of Sakaki that made it so Sakaki felt an insistent urge to tell her things when she asked about them

Well…" Sakaki began. "…with you being 13 at the time, I don't know…i-if…you know…" Sakaki's blush became darker. "If the two of us really could have come to love each other as more than just friends"

"You mean…like lovers?" Chiyo asked.

Sakaki nodded slowly.

-Chiyo's mind became an absolute jumble. She never really thought about even having a relationship, much less one with Sakaki. Yet, she had also never seen herself falling for another female either. What made it worse was the fact that Sakaki's almost hurt face made it impossible for these feelings to come out of Chiyo, for fear of sending her friend's soul deeper into a desperate spiral for solace.

"B-but…Sakaki-san…I…"

"It's ok, Chiyo-chan. It was…just a thought." Sakaki replied.

It's not that…it's just…" Chiyo took a deep breath. "I…like you as a friend…but…as a lover…well…I guess…I've never really thought about love at all. And…would it really work out between us?"

At this point, Sakaki let go of Chiyo's hand, unwrapped Chiyo's arms from around her neck, and turned herself around, so that she was now facing Chiyo.

"It could." Sakaki said. "We've both been through the same thing. Nobody ever knew about Kaede except for you and me. It would work out."

"How can you be so sure? How?" Chiyo asked. She looked downwards and closed her eyes. The tears began to fall from her own eyes once again.

Sakaki put her left hand on Chiyo's face, causing Chiyo to open her eyes. Sakaki slowly lifted Chiyo's head, so now they were making eye contact again.

"Because…" Sakaki said with a smile. "…if we do it for Kaede, things will work out."

The tears in Chiyo's eyes began to fall faster. With the hand on Chiyo's face, Sakaki moved her thumb over, and wiped away a tear that fell down Chiyo's face.

The two locked eyes. That last little movement had finally gotten to Chiyo. The mood was set.

"Chiyo…I…love you." Sakaki said, as she moved her lips closer to Chiyo. Her hand dropped from Chiyo's face, and grabbed hold of Chiyo's right hand. Once again, Chiyo felt that comfort she had felt when Sakaki had hold of her hand to begin with.

Slowly, she watched Sakaki's lips move closer to hers. A blush came on Chiyo's face, but she dare not move, frozen solid by a sudden want for the comfort of passion and friendship.

Sakaki's lips still came closer…

Chiyo closed her eyes, and Sakaki's lips met hers.

She let out a sigh of contentment, and continued on with the kiss. It was a splendid kiss; one drenched with passion and the purity of untainted affection.

Neither of them noticed a sudden light glowing on the road behind Sakaki, glowing brighter and brighter…

Chiyo wrapped her left arm around the back of Sakaki's neck, while her right hand continued to remain locked with Sakaki's left…

Sakaki wrapped her arm around Chiyo's back, and pulled her in closer. Now with the shared bodily warmth the two felt was making this all the better…

**THUMP!!**

The two instantly stopped kissing at the noise behind Sakaki, and looked to see what had made the noise.

At first, Sakaki and Chiyo thought they were just dreaming; the effects of the kiss still lingering.

But as they stared longer, they realized that this was not a dream.

Lying in the middle of the road on her stomach was a naked girl with long orange hair…

Sakaki and Chiyo let go of each other, stood up, and slowly walked towards the body, curiosity and adrenaline running throughout their bodies.

As they approached the body, the both of them knelt down next to it. Sakaki reached towards the body curiously, but retreated her hand.

"She…wasn't there before…was she?" Chiyo asked.

"And…I don't think anyone threw her out of a vehicle…" Sakaki said, noticing the lack of any sort of scratches or bruises.

"Well, we may as well turn her over…" Chiyo said.

Sakaki nodded. She grabbed hold of the girl's far shoulder, and pulled so that the woman turned over.

As she did, both Sakaki and Chiyo froze, their eyes wide, in complete and total shock.

No…it couldn't be…it can't be…but…it is…

"K-Kaede…" They both said in unison.

Chiyo's eyes filled immediately with tears. This just couldn't be true. Kaede was dead after all, she had watched her die; she had buried her. Sakaki also fell into the realm of speechlessness. Her mind could not siphon the facts from the falsehoods.

"Kaede…", Chiyo said again.

"Is it…", Sakaki droned, her own eyes not able to hold back the tears.

"Kaede….", Chiyo said again, jostling the girl's shoulder.

There was no response; she just lay there on the asphalt. Chiyo wised with every ounce of her being that the gods were not paying another cruel trick and sending her back to them as a corpse.

Sakaki looked down, making sure the girl was breathing. She was.

"She's breathing.", Sakaki said, as if she had read Chiyo's mind.

"She is!?", Chiyo yelled in relief, looking for herself and having her curiosity confirmed. "She is!"

At this point she began to laugh as tears streamed down her face. Her relief was complete. Yet, no matter how many times they called her name and shook her, Kaede would not wake up. At that point the fear set in. Maybe she was in a coma?

"S-should we take her to the hospital?", Chiyo worried.

Sakaki nodded. More than anything she wanted her daughter to be back with them. Some could say she was jealous of Tomo and Yomi for having Koyomiko with them at all times, even through the horror she had been told about. Yet even that, in her eyes, was not as terrible as what she and Chiyo had gone through.

"Ok….we should..oh, no…neither of us has a car…", her eyes began to tear up once more. "A-and we can't just…carry her…

Sakaki grabbed Chiyo around the shoulders for comfort.

"We could just…tell everyone. Tomo has a car…Kagura too.", Sakaki said.

"B-but won't everyone…think it is strange?", Chiyo asked.

Sakaki shook her head.

"Tomo and Yomi have Koyomiko remem-"

She was cut off by a voice from behind her.

"Hey, what's going on out here? You guys have been gone for awhile."

It was Kagura, come to check up on them.

Chiyo and Sakaki turned to see her walking towards them and feared for what may happen next.

"What are you guys doing?", she asked, peering over the two kneeling girls.

"N-nothing!", Chiyo stammered, trying her damndest to hide Kaede's fallen body.

"Well- Oh my god!", Kagura cried out upon seeing Kaede's sprawled form. "Who the hell is that!? Is she ok!?"

"We found here here.", Sakaki said. "We were just about to take her to the hospital."

"I'll take you in my car! I know a shortcut.", Kagura said, pulling Chiyo into an upright position as Sakaki carried Kaede in her arms.

"B-but won't the others notice you're gone?", Chiyo inquired as they piled into Kagura's car.

"Nah, they won't miss me.", she responded as she started the engine and pulled away from the curb.

"Hmm?" Chiyo questioned.

"Just hold on." Kagura said, dropping the pedal and screeching away towards the nearest hospital.

_It's ok, Kaede…..you'll be just fine…_ Chiyo thought, her hand passing through her daughter's hair.


	2. The Creation Manifest

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Chapter by Jamesbondkid2001

* * *

_(Back above Mount Shasta in northern California)_

The two Dagon known as X and Y are talking to a figure that remains in the shadows…they had been training this weapon for the past five years to take on the Ho Mega Therion that resided with the girls in Japan.

But first, X and Y wanted to make sure that their weapon was ready.

"So, what is your mission?" X asked.

"To kill the Ho Mega Therion and all those associated with her." The figure said.

"And how will you complete this mission?" Y asked.

"By _ANY_ means necessary." The figure replied with absolute coldness.

"And what if you fail?" X asked, his eyes narrowing.

"There is _NO_ failure." The figure replied.

X and Y grinned maliciously. "Excellent." The said simultaneously.

At that moment, the Dagon known as Z came walking in, grabbing the attention of all three in the room.

"Sirs, I'm afraid that there is some disturbing news." he said.

X turned his attention back to the weapon. "We shall be back, our weapon. Please, wait patiently."

"Understood." The figure said.

X and Y followed Z to the bridge of the ship, where Z shows them the disturbing news on the computer.

"So I see…" X replied.

"It seems that the other girl with the tetra-helix was reborn…" Y said.

"And done so by recreating the feelings that created her the first time." Z finished.

X simply smiled. "Ah, well. All the more fodder for our weapon to demolish.

All three of them laughed evilly and maliciously.

* * *

Sakaki sat in the waiting room of the hospital. Kagura had gone back to the Takino-Mizuhara household to inform the others of the situation.

Sakaki sat there, her mind in a total jumble. Kaede was supposedly dead. Yet for some reason, there she was, alive as the moment right before she died.

At any moment, she was expecting to wake up, as if this were all some horrible dream, like she had done so many times before.

Chiyo came walking up next to her, toting a giant teddy bear.

"Hey," Chiyo replied. "They had this at the gift shop, so I figured I'd buy it for Kaede when she wakes up."

Sakaki just nodded.

Chiyo sat down next to Sakaki, and set the teddy bear down next to herself.

A moment of silence passed.

"Still confused, huh?" Chiyo said, breaking the silence.

Sakaki nodded. "I…still don't know if it's a dream or not."

"I don't think it's a dream." Chiyo said. "I haven't had a dream yet where I came down to the hospital with her…"

At that moment, Koyomiko, Yomi, Tomo, Kagura, Kaorin, Chihiro and Osaka all came walking in.

"We heard you came to the hospital with someone." Yomi said. "Any idea as to who it might be?"

Sakaki and Chiyo both looked at each other nervously. Do they tell them?

At that precise moment, the doctor came walking up.

"Mihama-san, Sakaki-san?" The doctor asked.

"Ah, right here." Chiyo said, thankful that the doctor was pulling them away.

The doctor led Chiyo and Sakaki away from their friends.

"So, what do you guys think?" Kagura asked.

"I think there's something that those two aren't telling us." Yomi responded.

"But…what could they not be telling us?" Koyomiko asked.

"And what do you suppose that giant teddy bear is for?" Osaka asked out of the blue.

This turned everyone's attention towards the teddy bear, forgotten by Chiyo.

* * *

"Your daughter will be fine." The doctor responded.

Sakaki and Chiyo breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's sleeping right now, but if you would like to go in and see her, you may." The doctor replied.

"Um…y-yes, thank you." Chiyo replied.

The doctor left, leaving Chiyo and Sakaki alone. The two of them went inside Kaede's hospital room, and closed the door behind them. They then sat on Kaede's right side. Kaede had been put in a hospital gown, so she was no longer completely naked.

A moment passed. Sakaki reached out, and touched Kaede's right arm. She still couldn't believe that Kaede was here, real before her very eyes.

A few tears began to run down Sakaki's face, which she quickly wiped away.

Suddenly, Kaede's right hand moved, causing both Sakaki and Chiyo to jump a bit.

Kaede's right hand clenched up, then unclenched. Then the left hand did the same.

Sakaki and Chiyo turned their attention to Kaede's face. The two of them watched, adrenaline running throughout both of their bodies, as they saw Kaede's eyes open.

Sakaki and Chiyo stopped breathing, as they watched Kaede's eyes travel around the room, starting on the ceiling on her left side. It traveled down, then back up, then to her left side…

Her eyesight went down, and came to a total stop on Sakaki and Chiyo, sitting there, frozen solid in utter shock.

"Eh?" Kaede said.

The only noise she had ever made to Sakaki and Chiyo. It broke them both out of their stunned position.

"K…Kaede?" Sakaki asked.

Kaede then gasped, a super-happy look on her face. "AAAH!!" She half-leapt out of the bed, wrapping her arms around Sakaki's neck, and giving her a hug. She kept laughing, as if she easily recognized Sakaki.

Now the flood of tears came from both of Sakaki's eyes. She wrapped her arms around Kaede for a tight hug, and cried into her shoulder.

After a moment of this passed, Chiyo spoke up.

"K-Kaede, don't you recognize me?" Chiyo asked.

Kaede pulled out of the hug with Sakaki. "Eh?"

"D-Don't you recognize me?" Chiyo asked again.

Kaede tilted her head one way, then another way, looking confused the entire time. She couldn't quite recognize Chiyo…

The tears began to well up in Chiyo's eyes.

"Chiyo-chan…" Sakaki said. "When we first met her, your hair was in pigtails…"

The tears welling up in her eyes, Chiyo went to work on her hair. Though she had grown up, Chiyo had still kept her hair long enough so that she could put them up into the noticeable pigtails that everyone knew.

As soon as she was done, Chiyo, her hair pigtailed, looked up at Kaede.

And Kaede got that same happy face she had gotten with Sakaki. "AAAAH!!" Kaede then jumped to Chiyo, and hugged her. And Chiyo did the same thing Sakaki did. She hugged Kaede tightly, and began to break down crying. This couldn't be a dream…Kaede felt far too warm for it to be a dream…

"Hey, guys." Chiyo opened her eyes, while Sakaki looked, to see everyone else walking in. Yomi had been the one to speak up, while Koyomiko was the one toting the teddy bear left behind by Chiyo.

Kaede let go of Chiyo and sat on her bed, watching everyone else come in.

"The…the pigtails…" Osaka said in shock. "Th-They're back…"

Chiyo sighed, and put her hair back down. She knew there had been a reason she didn't like the pigtails…

And Tomo, being Tomo, walked right up to Kaede, and bent down so she was eye-level with her.

"So, what's your name?" Tomo asked.

"Eh?" Kaede asked.

"Your name! What is it?" Tomo asked.

"Eh." Kaede replied.

"You're not very bright, you know that?" Tomo said.

"Shut up, Tomo!" Chiyo yelled.

Everyone stared at an angered Chiyo.

"She's not stupid!! She can't help that she doesn't know how to speak yet!!" Chiyo yelled some more.

"Sorry, geez…why you getting so angry over someone you don't know?" Tomo asked.

At this, Chiyo froze, and looked downwards. Sakaki also wouldn't speak up.

"Chiyo, something you want to tell us?" Yomi asked.

"Um…this…is Kaede…she was…born through…science." At science, everyone knew exactly where Kaede came from. It was the same thing they had told Koyomiko for the past 5 years.

"But…she died…and now…she's here, so…we…" Chiyo couldn't find her words anymore. The fact that Kaede was there before them still jumbled up her mind.

"I don't quite get it…" Tomo said.

Kagura did. It was another child created for destroying this world, and it had been reborn to do the same thing.

"Um…I gotta go to the bathroom, I'll be right back." Kagura quickly said. She ran out of the room.

"Eh?" Kaede asked.

Chiyo sighed. "But…Sakaki and I are her mothers. She was born at the age of 16, which is why she can't speak."

"Oh…" Koyomiko said. She looked at Kaede, who stared back.

"Ah, that reminds me! Koyomiko, could I have that teddy bear back?" Chiyo asked.

Koyomiko handed Chiyo the teddy bear. "Thanks." Chiyo took it, then handed it to Kaede.

"Here, Kaede. This is from your other mother and I." Chiyo said.

Kaede took the teddy bear. "Eh?...eh…." Kaede, unsure of how to handle it, looked at her mother's expectantly.

"Like this." Sakaki said. She took the teddy bear, and hugged it. She then handed it back to Kaede.

"Eh?" Kaede hugged the teddy bear like Sakaki had. "Ehhhh…." A smile came across her face. She put her head on the teddy bear's head, and closed her eyes. It was so soft to her…

Everyone there had an 'awwww' moment. Kaede looked so innocent and gentle holding that teddy bear in her arms…

* * *

Kagura finally found something she could use. A doctor's scalpel.

She was going to end it here and now. No more of these freak kids that caused pain and suffering to everyone they knew.

She grabbed the scalpel, put it in her pocket, then quickly hurried back to the room.

* * *

Kagura came walking in.

"So, what'd I miss?" She asked, a smile on her face.

"This is Kaede." Kaorin replied. "She's the daughter of Chiyo and Sakaki."

"Oh, is that so?" Kagura said.

Chiyo nodded, then turned her attention back to Kaede, who was still hugging the teddy bear.

"Eh?" Kaede opened her eyes, a puzzled look on her face.

"What? What is it?" Chiyo asked.

Suddenly, the sheets that covered up Kaede's bottom half became wet.

Which caused everyone in the room to get a little bit of a shocked look on their faces.

"I…guess she hasn't been potty trained either…" Chiyo said.

And as if nothing happened, Kaede went right back to hugging her teddy bear, which caused everyone to giggle a bit.

Everyone, except for Kagura.

She had been watching. Everyone's attention was on Kaede. Now was her chance.

She reached her hand into her pocket, and grabbed hold of the scalpel. She watched to make sure no one was looking, then took the scalpel out of her pocket, and her hand with the scalpel behind her back.

She made one last look, then took a deep, heavy breath. This was the moment…

She looked at Kaede. Another creature who was going to kill them all. No one had believed her when she had said the same thing of Koyomiko. Now, she was going to take matters into her own hands.

Anger and rage built up, she charged at Kaede, scalpel in hand.

"GAAAAAAAH!!"

Kaorin reacted quickly. She stuck her foot out, tripping Kagura so she fell harmlessly to the floor by Kaede's bedside.

However, the scalpel fell out of Kagura's hand, and skidded to the side of the wall, where everyone got full view of it, and knew precisely where it had come from.

"K…Kagura, what the hell were you doing?!" Kaorin yelled.

"I was going to kill that monstrosity, before she could kill us." Kagura said coolly as she picked herself up.

"What?!" Chiyo yelled as she stood up. "B-but…Kagura-san, why?!"

"Because that fucking creature had almost killed us all before!!" Kagura yelled, pointing straight at Koyomiko, who looked utterly shocked.

"M-mama, Kaa-san…she's scaring me…" A frightened Koyomiko said.

"And you all know it!! You all fucking lie to her about her past, and for what reason?! So she has the chance to kill us all again?!" Kagura continued to yell.

At this point, Kaede hugged her teddy bear tighter, becoming afraid of a screaming Kagura.

"K-Kagura, calm down…" Tomo said, shaking in disbelief at how her former classmate had just snapped.

In an instant, Kagura charged at Tomo, grabbed hold of her collar, pinned her up against the wall, and lifted her so that her feet no longer touched the ground.

"Don't tell me to calm down!!" Kagura grumbled angrily. "My life has been utterly ruined because of that monster you call your child, and I'm not about to let another one run loose!"

"Kagura-san, let my Mama go!!" Koyomiko yelled.

"Why don't you ask your 'Mama' here where you really came from?!" Kagura yelled.

"Kagura, that's enough!!" Yomi yelled.

"Don't believe a word that either of them say, Koyomiko!! You were born from an alien abduction 5 years ago, and almost killed us all!!" Kagura yelled. "They tell you that you were born from science, it's all lies!!

Koyomiko remained silent. She turned to Yomi.

"Kaa-san? Is it true?" Koyomiko asked.

"K-Koyomiko…" Yomi muttered out.

"Go ahead!! Tell her the fucking truth!!" Kagura yelled.

"Kagura, that's enough!! Put Tomo down!!" Yomi yelled back.

"Like hell!!" Kagura had had enough. She wheeled back and punched a completely-defenseless Tomo straight in the gut.

Yomi pushed Koyomiko out of the way, and laid a punch of her own, straight at Kagura's face. Kagura lost grip of Tomo, and fell to the ground, landing hard on her back.

The room remained silent, save for Tomo's gasps for air, as Kagura stood back up, glaring angrily at Yomi.

Then, as soon as it had started, Kagura whipped around, and ran out of the hospital room, slamming the door shut so hard behind her that it cracked a window.

A moment of silence remained afterwards. Now Kaede began to cry.

"Kaede, it's alright." Sakaki said. She pulled the frightened Kaede into a hug, and remained silent while it happened.

"Mama, Kaa-san, was she telling the truth? Were you…lying to me?" Koyomiko asked.

Tomo and Yomi looked down at their child. "C'mon, Koyomiko, let's head home. I think…we need to have a talk." Yomi said.

And they left without another word.

"See you guys later." Kaorin replied. Then she and Chihiro left.

"I'll…be seein' you guys." Osaka said. She bowed and left.

Leaving only Chiyo, Sakaki, and a crying Kaede in the emergency room.

* * *

For Kagura, she would run out of the hospital room, out of the hospital, then run down the street. Where she was headed, she wasn't sure herself. All she knew was, she was running…

_My life has been a total failure because of that night…_Kagura thought as she ran, tears streaming down her face. _All of them…they're so happy…all because they took in those abominations…and I'm left alone…a failure…_

Kagura continued to run, the tears that hit the pavement being covered up by the oncoming rain.

* * *

**Author's Notes: A sad chapter indeed. Kaede's back among the living, but it seems that Kagura isn't all too happy about it.**

**Next chapter goes back to Jay, where he'll explain Kagura's life over the past 5 years, and why she considers herself a failure.**

**See you all next time!**

**-JBK2K1**


	3. The Links Shatter

**This chapter was written by me. Fair warning, this chapter contains quite a bit of angst, but it's important to the plot! I promise I will never write anything as sad as this ever again!**

**Anyhow, enjoy!**

* * *

Kagura continued to run through the pouring rain; her heart pounding and her feet slamming against the pavement. She would not, could not stop until she reached the safe solitude of her home flat.

'_Why can't anyone see it but me….?', _continued to cross her mind. If anyone said she was insane, she had proof that she wasn't.

She turned the corner and passed a few wandering individuals carrying umbrellas to ward off the storm. Up ahead she spotted her apartment complex, the familiar white painted brick façade that would keep her safe.

She trotted up to the doorstep and entered, not bothering to wipe her face of tears for they blended well with the rain. At the door she was met by the landlord, who also happened to be the desk clerk in the lobby.

"Ah, Kagura-san. Rent for this month is due.", he said with a jilted smile.

Kagura liked her landlord/ He was sweet and understanding, but at this moment she was in no manner or mood to be dealing with the rent payment she didn't have.

"I'll by late on my payment.", Kagura said in a clipped tone, heading for the stairs that led to her second floor flat.

The landlord just shook his head and sighed.

"I'm getting tired of your late payments every month, Kagura-san.", he said, following her to the foot of the stairs.

Kagura turned, her boiling anger rising to the surface.

"I'm going through a rough time, ok!? Lay off my back!", she yelled with a tear-choked voice as she ran up the stairs. A door slam could be heard.

The landlord just shook his head.

"People these days…."

* * *

Inside her flat, Kagura wiped her runny nose with the back of her hand and reached for the light switch, flicking it on. The room stayed dark. She flicked the switch back and forth again; still no response. Looking behind her, she noticed the lights in the hall were on.

"Dammit…", she growled, knowing full well that her electricity had been shut off due to the chronic lateness of her electricity bills.

She slammed her door closed and wandered toward the two windows in the apartment, pulling open the curtains as far as possible to let any sort of dreary light into the already dismal room.

"Great…", she mumbled as all she could see out the window was the outside alleyway and the rather bland road the complex sat upon.

Sighing, she slumped into the nearest chairs as a fresh wave of tears poured down her cheeks. There were angry tears mixed with the anguish she felt for herself.

'_Why do those….__**creatures**__ get to be happy? All they have brought me was pain…', _she mused.

She sniffled and grasped the arms of the chair tightly as her body was wracked by another pang of indescribable anger. She had done nothing to deserve such misery when the true evil and those they took under their wing got to live in peace and happiness.

"Koyomiko….Kaede…", she spat. "Why can't anyone see!?", she erupted, slamming her fist hard on the arm of the chair, causing her hand to bruise.

The momentary pain caused her to remember back to when it had all began.

_"Yeah! When it comes to new ideas, you're very smart! I guess everyone has their own kind of intelligence. Since we're not all the same anyhow...", Kagura mused._

_"Yer good at statistics and stuff. Like...I could as 'bout any sports player and you'd know right away all sorts of things.", Osaka pointed out._

_"...What good is that though?", Kagura asked._

_"Memory.", Osaka tapped Kagura's forehead. "Ya got a good memory."_

_Kagura smiled. "I guess it's just selective."_

_Osaka leaned foward, clutching her legs to her chest as she watched the endlessly moving clouds._

_"I guess we're all good fer somethin'."_

_"Yeah...It sucks that I didn't spend a whole lot of time hanging out with you before this.", Kagura said._

_"I know whatcha' mean. Yer really smart and fun to talk to.", Osaka said with a smile towards her new close friend._

_"You're not so bad yourself.", Kagura joked, ruffling Osaka's hair with her hand._

_Osaka smiled and decided to take action on an impulse. She had always loved hugs, but ever since high school she had only been able to hug Chiyo-chan without others looking at her like some freak. She had been wanting to hug another one of her friends, because in her eyes friends should express their love for one another. So, at that moment she wrapped her arms around Kagura's waist and lay her head across her chest, smiling._

_Kagura was caught off guard by the action, reacting with surprise at first but then settling into placing her arms around the rather far-off girl and holding her in an awkward embrace. Hugs were foreign to Kagura. Her parents were never very openly affectionate to her and in her school years her friends nary showed any towards her either. This was the first hug she could actually remember. Thus her blush and smile was not unwanted._

Kagura immediately reached for the phone nearby. Picking up the receiver, she expected a dial tone, but was met with only silence. She grit her teeth. Her phone service had been discontinued.

'_Nothing works my way….Nothing!'_

In a fit of terrible passion she gripped the phone and tossed it with all her might across the room where it clattered into a corner; possibly broken, possibly not.

"DAMMIT!", she cried out, fighting the urge to smash every destructible item in the room.

Instead she fell to her knees over the table and cried into her arms with long deep sobs that wracked her chest. She could not ever reach the one person that may know how she felt; Osaka. She needed to confide in the woman her deepest secrets and fears. She needed an understanding shoulder to cry upon; the table was too cold and unmoving for that.

A knock came at the door; a soft, almost imperceptible knock. Kagura knew it was her landlord come to reprimand, or worse; evict her. So, she sat still against the table, her tears dripping onto the wood; silent, hoping that the man would leave.

A second knock followed. This time it was louder. She knew it could not be her landlord because he would always call out to her after the second knock.

"Yeah, what!?", she slurred out through her tear-choked throat.

"Kagura-chan?", came the voice from the other side of the door; Osaka's voice. "I…thought ya might like some company."

Kagura dug her fingernails into her palms for a moment. She felt uncomfortable that Osaka had come. It seemed too much like fate; a force she never believed in. Needless to say, she got up after a moment and unlocked the door; not bothering to wipe her tears away, she wanted Osaka to see them.

"Heya there.", Osaka said with a smile of sympathetic greeting.

"Yo.", Kagura grunted as she once more slunk over to the chair and sat down.

Osaka invited herself inside, removing her shoes by the door and closing it behind her. She pulled up a small wooden chair from the tiny kitchen table and sat beside Kagura. A string of silence followed, with the only sounds being the pattering of rain on the windows and Kagura's frequent sniffles.

Osaka stared at the destroyed woman and felt her heart being tugged. She needed to choose the right words.

"Why ya sittin' in the dark, Kagura-chan? Did ya suddenly become a vampire?"

"No, I'm not a vampire. I'm…saving on electricity.", Kagura grunted, her arms crossed.

Osaka then looked directly into Kagura's eyes. She stared long and hard, for she knew one can tell a lot from the eyes of another. To Kagura, it seemed an almost terrifying look as it looked as if she was boring past her eyes and deep into her soul.

"Yer lyin'.", Osaka said after a moment.

Kagura looked back at her, hooding her eyes; trying to look indifferent. That did not last long, for the tears came to the surface once again. In moments she had covered her face with her hands and sobbed mercilessly into them.

Osaka's heart was once again struck by a mighty pang of empathy. She stood from her chair and sat herself on the arm of Kagura's recliner, wrapping her arms around the weeping girl and letting Kagura use her as a release.

"Why!? Why is my life so bad!?", Kagura cried, gripping at Osaka's blouse tightly.

Osaka held the other woman tightly as she wept. She opened her mouth and answered quietly.

"Tell me all about it, Kagura-chan. I'm here to listen."

Kagura pulled back from the hug and immediately began to pour out the story she had been keeping wrapped up inside her.

"I was such a good swimmer…Waseda University wanted me on their team! They even offered me a scholarship…..a full athletic scholarship to swim on their team…", Kagura said.

"Really?", Osaka questioned, nodding.

"Yeah. A big school like that…", she said. "I was happy. My parents were happy too. We never had a lot of money to begin with so a scholarship was a godsend. Then _IT_ happened….", Kagura's eyes once more dropped tears.

Osaka nodded her head knowingly. The Dagon event had affected the lives of each and every one of them.

"W-when we returned my parents got all upset because of my disappearance…", Kagura sniffled, trying in vain to wipe her tears away. "Then when Waseda wrote back….my scholarship fell through…That made my parents even more pissed. Then I ended up at some craphole in the middle of the city…", Kagura groaned then, leaning her head against Osaka's shoulder.

Osaka held the girl close, knowing that at this moment she was hearing something no one else had ever heard.

"So….", Kagura grit her teeth, but she knew she had to say it. "I got into a lot of relationships…to make myself feel good…", she sniffled again, ignoring the tears she was dripping onto Osaka's blouse. "Every one of them cheated on me…Even love didn't make me happy…"

Osaka wanted to cry at that point, yet she had to blink back the tears to keep her friend sane. Kagura sat up again.

"I struggled through that damn college! Got a job as a mechanic…and failed. Fired because I made a little mistake. Then I got fired from every other job I tried! I couldn't even do the simple stuff like be a waitress!", Kagura seethed in anger. "Ever since that day….the day those damn kids were born…my life has been HELL!"

Osaka stared back at Kagura's eyes that seemed to wisp with anger, yet the tears still seemed to overflow from them.

"Do you know what my dream was, Osaka?"

Osaka shook her head silently.

"To swim in the Olympics. Hell, not even be a medalist, but just to be in them!", Kagura cried, sobbing so hard that her chest began to hurt.

"You can still do that, Kagura-chan.", Osaka reassured her.

"No I can't….", Kagura mumbled. "I'm a failure and that's all there is to it. Even those damn creatures you call kids get a good life…and they're nothing but evil…", she hissed the last words.

Osaka let out a tiny, almost imperceptible sigh and smiled at Kagura. She knew that whatever she could say about the children that it would be immediately disregarded, so she decided to switch the subject a bit.

"Kagura-chan, I got an idea. How 'bout you come stay with me until you can get it together."

Kagura glared back with a grimace.

"Are you saying I can't take care of myself?"

Osaka stayed silent and simply smiled, which was far louder than any words. Kagura stared back at her and slowly her grimace dropped into neutrality.

"Ok, fine…."

"Good! Now let's get yer life back togetha'", Osaka said, hugging her friend.

"Thanks, Osaka…", Kagura responded, cracking her first real smile in quite some time.

* * *

For Koyomiko, the ride home seemed like a lifetime; a painful lifetime at that. Her mothers stayed silent as they drove from the hospital. She dare not speak for her Mama and Kaa-san seemed detached to the point of requiring the girl to worry more about them than about the revelation she was about to receive.

She instead sat in wonderment in the back seat. She could not even think straight, much less try to resolve what Kagura had been trying to say. At that point, Koyomiko was far more concerned for her mothers; what they knew seemed to be eating away at their normality.

Pulling into the parking lot of their apartment complex, they beckoned Koyomiko out and the family went inside to their flat. Upon entering, Tomo tossed the car keys onto the table and sat down there with Yomi alongside her.

All was silent for a moment, but Koyomiko spoke up.

"You can tell me now.", she said, sitting down on the other side of the table.

Yomi pursed her lips and Tomo looked at her partner, unsure of how to proceed. That sight made Koyomiko even more restless. She had never seen her Mama unsure of anything.

"Koyomiko…what Kagura-san said…", Yomi began. "she didn't…say it right."

"Mama…Kaa-san. Please just tell me…", Koyomiko insisted.

This caused Tomo to sigh and become visibly upset. She grasped on to Yomi's hand as she spoke.

"Koyomiko…you and Kaede are just a little….different than everyone else."

"What?", Koyomiko asked, leaning forward and narrowing her eyes. She craved understanding.

"You know what DNA is…right?", Yomi asked.

Koyomiko nodded slowly. She had recently learned in school that DNA is what all living things, big and small, are made from; the building blocks of life.

"You and Kaede; your DNA has…what are those called, Yomi?", Tomo asked.

"Helixes."

"Right. You and Kaede…your DNA has four helixes instead of two.", Tomo cracked a small smile, trying to break the proverbial icy countenance of the situation. "You guys are special!"

Koyomiko sat back in her seat, more confused than anything.

"How can that happen? You are my mothers…..right?", she asked, her voice wavering.

"Oh, we are! We are!", answered Tomo quickly.

"That's right! You really are our biological child!", said Yomi.

"But..then how…", Koyomiko's eyes began to tear up as her voice puttered out into a series of incomprehensible babbles.

"Koyomiko….", Yomi said, using her right hand to grasp her daughter's. With Yomi also holding onto Tomo's hand, the family was connected.

"Koyomiko….something happened to me and your Kaa-san five years ago…", Tomo began.

Koyomiko grit her teeth and shut her eyes tight. She did not want to hear this…

"These…bad men came and took us. They took everyone…Kagura-san, Kaorin-san, Osaka-san, Sakaki-san..everyone.", Yomi continued. "They used our DNA to make children that they were going to use as…weapons..", she shivered.

"I-I'm….a w-weapon?", Koyomiko was shivering so hard that the legs of the chair clattered on the floor.

"But..we saved you.", Tomo smiled. "You were the only one to survive. Our daughter."

Koyomiko covered her ears and stood up. Tears fell down her cheeks as she screamed.

"I'm a creation!? I'm nothing more than an experiment!? I'm a freak!! A freak!", she yelled, trying her best to pull away from Yomi, who had grabbed on to her wrist.

"Koyomiko…please listen…", Yomi pleaded.

"No! Let me go!", Koyomiko yelled, wrenching herself from Yomi's grip. "How do I know you're my real mothers!?"

"Koyomiko….we told you. And…we love you!", Tomo interjected, standing from her seat.

"You're lying to me! You're lying because I'm a freak and you don't want to say so!", Koyomiko rebutted.

"No, no, no!", Yomi said. "We love you because you're our daughter!"

"Yes!", Tomo said. "We love you because you came from us!"

"Am I even human!?", Koyomiko raged, clenching her fists as tears streamed down her red-flushed face. "I don't even have the same DNA as normal people!"

"That doesn't matter, Koyomiko! Actually, you could say that you're more than human! A better human!", Tomo said, smiling to break her daughter's anger.

"It's bad enough that my friends think I'm strange for having two mothers, now I'm a freak! Why can't I just be normal!?", Koyomiko yelled, taking off and locking the door to her room behind her.

Tomo sighed. She knew what she had done was the proper course of action, but doubts filled her because it felt so damn wrong….

"Was it right….what we did?", she asked.

"It is better we told her than have Kagura go off like that again and have it made worse.", Yomi responded.

"Do you think she'll…learn to accept it?"

"I would hope so…."

A moment of silence passed.

"I never knew her friends considered her strange because of us either…" Tomo said.

"I guess she didn't want to tell us…" Yomi replied.

* * *

**Ok! We made it through! Now let's cheer up from here! Next chapter by Jamesbondkid2001!**

**-Jay**


	4. An Angel Distorted

**This chapter by JBK. Enjoy!**

* * *

Koyomiko sat on her bed, crying. She felt so confused. Did her parent's really love her? How she felt so confused….

But while Koyomiko was crying in her room over this new truth her parents had told her, high above Japan, in a large transport, was X, carrying the weapon.

X could remember…when the idea was first hatched…

…

_Flashback, 5 years ago_

…

He held the slate that he had taken from Dagon, while Y and Z used the DNA that had been saved from the girls when they were kidnapped to create the new child.

Lots of flashing came from the tube that they were using to create their weapon. For you see, without the proper bodies for which to create the body, they had to use straight DNA, which required massive amounts of power to do.

But finally, all the electric power finally died down, and the tube was lifted, a baby was seen.

X, Y, and Z walked up to the baby.

"Welcome to the world, Nephilim…" X said. "…our weapon."

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Nephilim's crying echoed throughout the entire room, causing all three Dagon present to cover their ears.

"Either of you know about the proper care of a human child?" X yelled.

Both Y and Z shook their heads.

Nephilim's crying became louder.

…

X shivered hard at these memories. The care of a human child was the worst kind of torture known. How in the galaxy did humans care for their young without going insane?!

It took 5 years to train this weapon of theirs up properly, to become a weapon, a trained killing machine…

Ho Mega Therion had escaped their grasp so many years ago, all in thanks to that idiot leader they had. Escaped to once again destroy this world and anything that got in her way…

Then this other child was reborn…

But X, Y, and Z were ready to make their move anyway. Their weapon was designed to infiltrate and destroy anything that got in her way, along with Ho Mega Therion. In fact, that was her primary target, now along with the girl that had been reborn as well. She could feel free to dispose of the other girls in any way she so pleased.

The transport ship came to a stop above Tokyo. X turned back to their weapon, who was patiently waiting in the transport area.

X gave a good look-down of the weapon. She was wearing a Dagon uniform, fitted to be child's size. Her hair was brown, and came down to her neck, then went around her head at the same level.

"It's time, Nephilim…finally time to send you out for what you were trained to do."

The girl smiled maliciously. She had been anxious to do this since she turned 5.

"Now, our weapon…we shall send you out among the other humans. You must sneak in amongst the girls that house the Ho Mega Therion, then dispose of the Ho Mega Therion herself, as well as the child who was reborn. After that, the rest of the girls are yours to dispose of." X said, making sure that she got it.

"Besides her name, how will I know Ho Mega Therion, and the reborn child?" Nephilim asked. After all, they had only taught her the names of the girls who had been kidnapped years ago, as well her two primary targets' names.

"You'll know them when you meet them." X replied simply.

"Yes, master." Nephilim said, that malicious grin returning to her face.

"Now, we came up with a Japanese name so you could fit in amongst those girls." X said. He handed the girl a piece of paper. The girl took one look at it, then stuck it in the pocket of her Dagon suit.

X grinned evilly. He couldn't wait to see his weapon in action.

He went back to the console, and pushed a few buttons. And with that, the girl was transported.

…

Nephilim landed in an alleyway.

_Of course, _she thought. _It would attract attention if I suddenly appeared in the middle of a crowd._

But suddenly she realized something…something that was horribly wrong…

Her clothes were gone. Damn that X, probably screwed up on the transport down…

"Some clothes would be nice!!" She yelled up into the sky.

And in an instant, her clothes that she had been wearing appeared right in front of her.

Quickly putting them on, she walked calmly out into the crowd.

She had the girls' names memorized. Being told so much which one's were her targets, it was pretty easy to remember…

She looked around. She had also been told that she had gotten her DNA from two girls, so she looked for anyone that looked remotely close to herself. No success, so she started walking.

But as she walked on, she realized that her clothes stood out… Her clothes looked like she was in some sort of army as a general or something… everyone else's looked…casual.

This, however, was just part of Nephilim's training coming into play. She had been trained on how to blend in to a crowd, so she could easily mix herself silently among other humans.

She had to change into something more fitting, and she knew it.

Luckily, she spotted a clothes store as she was walking by.

_Perfect,_ she thought.

…

Nephilim walked into the store. The checkout lady gave the girl a weird look for her clothing choice, and could almost tell why this little girl was in the store.

One of the store's employees came up to help the little girl.

"Hello, little girl." The woman said, bending down to Koharu. "Are you lost? Are you searching for your mom and dad?"

"No, I am simply in here to change clothes." Nephilim replied, looking around.

"Is that so? Well, where's your mom and dad?" the lady asked.

Nephilim cast a look at the employee that sent a large chill down her spine. "I have no mom and dad. Now let me be. You are in my way."

Nephilim walked further into the store, leaving the employee utterly stunned.

…

Nephilim found her training to be rather useful now. Since the Dagon had an immense amount of knowledge of the human world, they passed it on to Nephilim for her training.

She knew that she had to dress in the dressing room, where other humans would not go if you were in there.

Nephilim found a nice pair of what the humans called 'jeans'. She went into the fitting rooms and put them on.

Next came her shirt. Her eyes scanned through the store, and found a shirt that was far different in color from the usual Dagon outfit.

Nephilim thought hard to her training. Yes, it was acceptable for a human female of her age to wear that kind of color. From what she remembered, the color was known as 'pink'.

She grabbed the shirt, went into the dressing room, took off her Dagon outfit, ripped the tags off of the new shirt, and put it on.

It was a long sleeve shirt, and it fit rather nicely, but something bothered Nephilim.

The color was far too bright to be alone. She would surely stand out in a crowd now…

She left the fitting room, and looked around again. And there she spotted it. A black shirt that would be perfect as an over-shirt for the pink one.

She grabbed it, and ran back into the fitting rooms. She put on the black shirt over the pink one, and looked at herself in the mirror. The black was a short-sleeve, which meant that the pink long sleeve showed at the arms.

What was better was the design on the black shirt. In the center it had two white flowers on either side of a skull.

_Perfect,_ she thought.

She remembered that she had been given a new name, so as to fit in among the humans.

She reached into the pocket of her Dagon outfit, and pulled out the piece of paper. Reading it a few times, memorizing the name, she looked into the mirror with a big grin.

"Awesomeness, thy name is Koharu." She said.

_Koharu…hehe…I like it._ She thought.

Deciding her Dagon outfit was now just dead weight, she decided to leave it there, and walk out.

As she left the fitting room, however, she was met by a big man in a suit and a badge that read 'Store Security'.

"Little girl, where are your parents?" The man asked.

"I have no parents." Koharu replied.

"Well, can I ask for the money you're going to use to pay for those clothes?" The man said.

Damn…money… The one thing that Koharu had forgotten about in her training. It was used for the purchase of anything for humans.

Well, Koharu was now stuck. But she was a weapon, and she would not be stopped by this guard, or anything else for that matter.

"I have none, but if you value your life, you will let me pass." Koharu replied, staring upwards at the guard.

The guard decided he had had enough of this girl's attitude. "That's it! You're coming with me!" And he grabbed Koharu's wrist.

Bad mistake.

Using her other hand, Koharu grabbed the man's hand that had hold of her wrist, and she squeezed hard.

The man's hand was literally broken as soon as Koharu squeezed it.

He would have screamed, but Koharu quickly whipped him downwards, and using her superior strength, squeezed his neck tightly with one hand.

The man's face turned red within seconds. Koharu thought his head was going to pop off.

Deciding this man wasn't worth killing and blowing her cover, she then threw him.

The guard went flying from the back of the store all the way through the glass at the entrance of the store.

CRASH!!

The guard hit the sidewalk and rolled. Absolutely everyone began to gather at the scene.

…

Koharu used a back entrance that she had found when she had gone in to escape from the store without being noticed.

She noted to herself that she would have to learn how to control herself next time. She probably blew her cover on that one.

She walked out of the back alleyway, and into the crowded streets of Tokyo.

_Just remember what your masters taught you…_ she thought to herself. _You'll know Ho Mega Therion and the reborn child when you meet her._

…

Needless to say, the police would get involved with this. They would get the description of the girl from the cashier, the store employee, and the guard (once he regained consciousness), and get to work right away. But one officer would find a big clue…

"Chief!" the officer yelled. He handed a picture to the chief. "This a picture of a girl who went missing for a few days 5 years ago...she partially matches the description of the child that stole those clothes"

"But would she be related? I mean, it's been 5 years..."

"Could be her kid. And it's all we have right now"

…

Kaorin and Chihiro entered their apartment. A silence befell the both of them.

The both of them went into their bedroom, and sat down on the bed.

"I wonder why Kagura thinks Kaede is evil…" Chihiro said, breaking the silence.

"Well, seeing as what happened with Koyomiko… it's really not that surprising." Kaorin responded.

"But still… it almost seemed like Kaede didn't even know how to speak, or was even potty trained for that matter…" Chihiro said, remembering when Kaede wet the bed.

"Think about it though…" Kaorin added. "Kagura seems a bit…broken, you know? I can easily see how she would think Kaede is another threat to all of us."

"I wonder what happened to her after that day we were all abducted…" Chihiro responded.

Kaorin shook her head. "You mean how she lived her life after what happened?"

Chihiro nodded.

"Maybe what happened scarred her or something…" Kaorin said. "It was weird seeing Koyomiko around after what we went through.."

Chihiro nodded again. "But…you know…if it hadn't been for you…I don't know what 'I' would have done…My mind still wonders if all of it was real, or…just a dream…"

"Of course it was real" Kaorin responded. "Koyomiko and Kaede were right in front of us…and…we love each other, don't we?"

Chihiro looked over at Kaorin, who was smiling at her. It caused a smile to come across her own face. "Yes…yes we do…"

A romantic moment passes between the two…very slowly…their lips go to meet.

BAM BAM BAM!!

The loud banging on the door interrupts the moment.

"KAORI AIDA!! WE HAVE A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST!!"

Kaorin shivers in her room. "C-Chihiro?! What…What's going on!?"

"I…I don't know…" Chihiro responded, equally as frightened as Kaorin was.

BANG!!

The door slams open, and police flood into the house.

They come to the room, looking around the corner.

"GET DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!!"

Kaorin screams and drops to the ground, her hands cover her head to protect herself. "DON'T HURT US, PLEASE!!"

Chihiro drops, screaming loudly.

…

Kaorin and Chihiro are arrested, and taken off to police headquarters.

They were placed in an interrogation room, where they were supposed to wait. Both of them were sitting in chairs.

"Chihiro, do you have any idea what's going on?" Kaorin asked.

"Not the slightest clue…" Chihiro replied. "Kaorin…I'm scared…"

"I know, Chihiro…me too…" Kaorin replied, her own hands shaking.

At that moment, two police officers came in. One shut the door behind him, and then waited up against the wall. He appeared to be holding a jacket of some kind in his hands.

Meanwhile, the other officer had both Chihiro's and Kaorin's records. He sat down across from Kaorin, and laid both of their records in front of him without opening them up.

"Kaori Aida…we have reason to believe that a child of yours robbed a store earlier today." The man said.

"Child? I don't have a child." Kaorin responded.

"That's what we also thought, seeing as how you have no record of any children being born, but a child matching your description with slightly darker hair robbed a store today, and took out a store guard in the process." The cop said.

Both Kaorin and Chihiro had to look at each other. Something wasn't right here…

"Is that all? Is there more?" Kaorin asked.

"Yes." The other cop said. He pushed himself off of the wall, and placed the jacket upwards on the interrogation table, so it was well spread out.

Both Kaorin and Chihiro utterly froze.

What the cop had laid on the table was the suit that every last Dagon had worn.

"This jacket was left behind by the child. Do you recognize it at all?" the sitting cop asked.

Chihiro stared at it for a moment, before she swayed, and fell to the floor in a faint.

Kaorin kept staring. The total and utter horror of what was in front of her made her heart jump to her throat.

And she shivered hard. For every last bone in her body felt like the worst was yet to come…

…

**Author's notes: Ok, first off, for those that remember the end of Helix, Dagon mixed Kaorin's and Kagura's DNA on his notepad. That's where the idea to use Koharu came in.**

**Also, I'm not sure how Japanese police break into houses and arrest people, so we had to use an American version. Please don't hurt us for it!**

**Oh, and sorry it took so long to get this out, but I, JBK, started a new job that I work 9 – 4:30 Monday through Friday, so my fic time is limited.**

**But it goes back to Jay next!!**

**-JBK2K1**


	5. A Muffled Collision

**Bet you thought you'd never see this again! Heheh, well here we haev a sort of filler chapter...I hope it's not too boring...**

* * *

The interrogator grimaced upon the sight of Chihiro fainting. He leaned forward and slammed his hands hard on the table, gazing sullenly into Kaorin's eyes.

"So, what's up with this?", he said, lifting the uniform off the table.

Kaorin stayed silent. She had to think, and quickly. There was no one in the room to help her any longer, but she still had her rights…

"I want to see a lawyer. And..I want my phone call as well.", she mumbled.

"Speak up, missy!", the officer ordered.

"I want a lawyer and I want my phone call!", Kaorin repeated.

The interrogator glanced back at the other officer, who shrugged. He then returned his gaze to Kaorin, motioning with his head towards the door.

"Wake up your friend and then meet me outside."

The first officer opened the large metal door and exited a moment before the second one glanced back at the girls and left as well. Kaorin, on the other hand, got to her hands and knees to shake Chihiro awake. The dazed woman awoke with a groggy head nod.

"Did I see…what I thought I saw?", she asked.

Kaorin nodded the affirmation, lifting Chihiro by her underarms into a standing position.

"Can you walk?", Kaorin asked.

Chihiro nodded, taking a few wobbling steps before regaining her balance.

"We can leave?", she asked, motioning toward the open door.

"No.", Kaorin said. "I asked for a lawyer and a phone call."

She moved closer to Chihiro in order to put the interrogating officer out of earshot.

"I'm going to call Osaka. She'll believe us.", Kaorin said, her lips pursed and barely moving.

"Why not Tomo and Yomi? They have Koyomiko after all…"

"No, think about it….If Koyomiko finds all this out, what would she think? Besides, they have enough on their hands to not have to deal with ANOTHER Dagon.", Kaorin retorted, glancing occasionally towards the doorway.

"But why would Dagon go back on his word?", Chihiro shivered upon making this statement.

"I don't know…but I think that child of Sakaki-san and Chiyo-chan has a lot to do with it…"

"Hey! Are you two coming!?", the officer yelled impatiently.

"Coming, Sir!", Kaorin said, leading the way into the well-lighted room. It was much better to be in a public place now and not left in the near-darkness with her thoughts.

"Phone's right here.", the officer muttered, pointing rather roughly to a hanging phone on the wall.

Kaorin picked up the phone and, with a minor glance to the man nearby, dialed Osaka's number. The phone rang once…twice….thrice. Kaorin's hands tightened around the receiver, hoping for Osaka to pick up.

"'Ello?", came a tired-sounding voice on the other end.

"Osaka!?", Kaorin said in surprise, completely relieved.

"Kaorin?", Osaka muttered. "Is that you?"

"Yes!! Yes, it's me!! Look, Osaka…Chihiro and I need your help! We were arrested by the police and we need you to come to the station to convince these guys we're not guilty!"

"Hold on, slow down…what did ya do? Did ya kill a man?"

"No, no, no! They think we're involved with some little girl that broke into a store and killed a few people."

There was silence on the other end or a moment.

"….So ya did kill somebody."

"No, no, no!! Listen, Osaka…this is VERY important! We need you down at the station NOW!"

"…Can Kagura come?"

"I don't care! Just get down here!"

And with that, the officer grabbed the receiver from her hands and hung it up.

"Time's up!"

Kaorin shifted on her feet as she looked back at Chihiro, who gave a reassuring nod.

"Look, girls…we gotta put you in separate rooms until your buddy shows up.", the officer said.

Kaorin nodded morosely and, with a single glance back to Chihiro, let the man escort her away.

--

Kaorin's mind lay perched on a precipice. She had to believe; the evidence was there for her to see. What confused her the most though, was the question 'why?'. Dagon had let them free all those years ago. If he had retracted his promise, the world itself would be doomed. And if that was the case, there was now far more reason to worry. To add to the growing list of anxiety; there was a very good chance that Kaede, Sakaki and Chiyo's ill-begotten child, had plenty to do with the occurrences. Even Kaorin knew that Dagon would not wantonly go about creating discord once more. He was a learned man and making another mistake would cost his entire race their existence.

'_Besides, Kaede seems harmless enough…'_

Then it struck her that the group had similar thoughts when Koyomiko was born. It some ways, Kaorin decided, it would be prudent to take precautions around Kaede; at least for a short period of time.

--

Chihiro, sequestered in another room, came to a slightly different conclusion. She saw the tiny uniform as an important object of interest. The officers had spoken of a child causing the damage they were investigating; one that bore a resemblance to Kaorin, no less. Extrapolating that, the evidence pointed towards a child born from Kaorin's DNA. She was certain Kaorin was no way involved; this she was certain of.

'_But why would Dagon use her DNA? Her brash nature maybe?'_

She could not place down a solid reason, yet it still stuck as a curiosity. Besides the obvious question of 'Why would Dagon do this?' there also was the question 'Why Kaorin?'.

--

On the other side of town, Koyomiko sat by her window, gazing out at the people mulling about the streets below.

"Normal…every single one of them.", she muttered, wiping a few tears from her eyes.

No one knew of her 'difference', but if they did, Koyomiko worried that she would be even less accepted by her peers and even her teachers. Having gay parents made it hard enough to make friends. She was ridiculed by many and looked down upon, others thinking she must be gay herself; something unnatural. Add to that her odd birth and DNA structure; she did not even want to think about the consequences if others found out.

"I don't even belong here….", she mused.

She did not want her 'parents' to go through any undue stress. She had already put them through thirteen years of struggle to make ends meet. She thought for a moment about running from home; living on her own where no one could see nor judge her upon simply who she was; it was not a subject she could control. Add to that the fact that not even her parents' friends could trust her. She was nothing but a source of misery.

Yet, the bright sun outside coupled with the smell of the fresh air wafting through the open window of her room enticed her. Nature, she figured, always knew the answers to problems.

"Maybe all I need is a walk."

She moved from the window towards her door, passing by the various artworks and supplies that gave her room, and herself, character. She sighed; maybe her skill at art was a byproduct of her abhorrent birth as well. She opened the door just a crack so that she could peer into the hallway and the den beyond. Neither Tomo nor Yomi were anywhere in sight.

Koyomiko took this opportunity to sneak from her room, closing the door slowly in the process. She still felt a bit apprehensive, sneaking from the house. She had never been much of a rebellious child, but…what did she know? She was inhuman, after all.

It was far simpler than it need be, stealthily exiting the flat without a sound. She soon found herself on the sidewalk outside, glancing up at the window of the flat and trying to foster a new yearning for her 'home'.

This degree of mind-clutter was far beyond any she had experienced as an adolescent; even greater than her first crush. She remembered that fondly.

"_But Kaa-san.", twelve year old Koyomiko argued. "He's perfect in every way!"_

"_Well, what do you know about him?", Yomi asked._

"_Umm…his name is Katsu and he's so tall and…elegant! His eyes make me feel all warm inside and….he's all I think about!"_

_Yomi nodded sagely, continuing to stir the curry in the pot on the stove. _

"_So, what are his hobbies? What does he like to do? Have you two talked about that yet?", Yomi asked._

"_Umm..err…Thing is…", Koyomiko giggled nervously. "I haven't actually talked to him.."_

_Yomi turned from the bubbling pot and gazed down her nose at the girl._

"_Koyomiko, let me tell you something. Your Mama and I used to go to high school with a girl that thought just like that. Want to know what happened with her crush?"_

"_What?"_

"_She never even talked to her crush and instead pined over something that may not have even been real."_

"_What does that mean?", Koyomiko asked, contorting her face in confusion._

"_I think you know what I mean.", Yomi replied, turning back to her cooking._

Only weeks later did Koyomiko come to understand what her mother meant. Being at the beginning of the new school year, it had taken those weeks for her to idly discover that Katsu was a lazy, self-serving miscreant with an acidic attitude towards those he viewed as psychologically 'lesser'. Later, Koyomiko had told Yomi about what she discovered and the woman smiled.

"_Do you understand what I meant now?"_

"_Yes….", Koyomiko sheepishly admitted. "But how did you know?"_

"_Experience.", Yomi nodded. "There is always more to everyone than what meets the eye. Even you…"_

At this point, Yomi had turned away from her daughter as if she had spoken secret truths.

'_A sign, maybe?', _Koyomiko thought. _'No, no….Mama and Kaa-san were always tricky…'_

Such a cruel ruse; to keep the truth of Koyomiko's becoming from her for all this time. What bothered her most was the fact that if Kaede had not come around, she may have never found out.

It was a horror. She had been told many times over that a family should not keep secrets from one another. To be kept aloof of even her birthright….a travesty in her mind!

She silently walked the concrete past apartment blocs where lived people she knew from school. She felt no comfort in that. She truly had no one else to go to at this moment. She had few friends and even so, the ones she had were no more than acquaintances. Thusly, at this moment she had but herself to answer her questions.

She politely made her way down the sparsely populated suburban street, politely making her way past fellow walkers until she reached the street corner she turned down nearly every day on her way to school. She looked in the direction of her high school, but turned away from it; not wanting to be anywhere near it at this moment in time.

She turned away from the view and continued down her straight path by stepping into the road. Her attention elsewhere, she bumped directly into something. She reeled slightly and, seeing that it was a little girl, turned and bowed.

"I am very sorry! Please forgive me!"

"Oww…", said the little brown-haired girl Koyomiko had bumped in to. The two locked eyes for a moment before the little girl broke into tears. "WAHHHH!!"

"Oh no…oh no! It's ok! It's ok! Are you hurt!?", Koyomiko knelt and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders.

The girl let out a little sniffle and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm ok….I…I…I don't know where my mama is!!", she said, bursting into copious crying once more.

"Oh no…oh no! What does she look like…I can help you find her…umm, what is your name, little girl?!", Koyomiko said.

"M-my name is Koharu and…y-you will find my mama for me?", a small smile cracked the girl's tear-stained face.

"Yes, I will help you Koharu-chan!", Koyomiko assented with a nod, her former thoughts banished.

Koharu sniffled again and looked up at her with her large brown eyes that pleaded.

"Can I…use your mobile to call her?"

Koyomiko mentally chastised herself. Of all the times to not carry her mobile. Other times she wouldn't be seen without it! She looked up from Koharu and down the street. She was not far from her Osaka Ba-chan's house.

"I know.", Koyomiko said. "I'll take you to my Ba-chan's house! You can use the phone there, ok?"

"Okay…", Koharu sniffled again, slowly grasping Koyomiko's hand with her own. Together, they treaded the sidewalk before them silently for a time. The sky took on an ochre cast followed by beautiful lavender. Night was approaching.

"So…Koharu-chan….how old are you?", Koyomiko asked.

"Umm..this many.", she said holding up the five fingers of her free hand.

"Five, eh? That's nice…", Koyomiko pondered, slightly struck by the fact that she did not remember her own time as a five year old. For all she knew, she may never have _been_ a five year old!

'_No…this is not a time to think like that. It's time to be a hero, Koyomiko!'_

She shook off the grim feeling and continued along the path, focusing her efforts on helping this defenseless little girl. They soon approached the apartment bloc where Osaka lived on the third floor.

"This is where your Ba-chan lives?", Koharu asked.

Koyomiko nodded in assent. "Yes. Oh, she can be a little…strange but she is a very nice lady."  
Koharu nodded, understanding.

With a slight nudge, she escorted Koharu up the clanking metal staircase and up to the third floor, turning the corner and coming to a stop in front of room 305.

Koyomiko quickly raised her hand and knocked at the door three times. Together they waited, Koharu shuffling her feet nervously. Over a minute passed with no response so Koyomiko knocked once more before jiggling the doorknob. It was locked.

"Hrm….I don't think my Osaka Ba-chan is home…", Koyomiko mused.

"Aww…that's no good.", Koharu said.

"Say, Koharu-chan…where do you live?"

The girl looked at the floor, anxious and embarrassed.

"I…don't know. I don't know the address."

"Oh! I have an idea! How about we go for a walk and you can try and lead me there? Sound good?", Koyomiko suggested with a kind smile.

"Sounds good!", Koharu smiled up at her as they walked back into the darkening twilight.

--

"What is she doing?", Z asked, horrified by Koharu's sheepishness.

"She is a bright young one. Do not underestimate her mental trickery.", X absolved, crossing his arms at the statement.

"Does this not prolong the inevitable?", Y asked.

"She is working her way. I see her logic. If Nephilim can work her way into the hearts and minds of the enemy, an attack will be completely unexpected."

Y and Z nodded, ashamed at missing this base logic.

"Yes, do your worst, our little pet.", Y grinned wildly.


	6. Breathe an Invocation

**Alrighty now! JBK's turn!! Enjoy!**

* * *

Osaka and Kagura pulled up to the police station in Kagura's car. Osaka got out, and walked over to the driver's door as Kagura got out.

"Are ya ready?" Osaka asked.

"Yeah…" Kagura responded half-heartedly. She wondered what sort of trouble Kaorin and Chihiro had gotten themselves into…

…

Osaka and Kagura walked into the police station, and went up to the front desk.

"We're here to see Kaorin Aida and Chihiro Inoue…" Kagura said.

"Yeah…apparently they killed someone." Osaka said. "An' they're denyin' it."

Kagura sweatdropped. Typical Osaka…

"Are you trying to tell us something?" The officer asked.

"No…that's how she usually is." Kagura said. "They were arrested, and we don't know why."

"You sure you're not trying to tell me anything?" The officer asked.

"Positive." Kagura said, covering Osaka's mouth before she could say anything.

"Alright…this way please." And the officer led them away.

On the television in the room, the news played…

"Police are still trying to find the little girl that was reported to have robbed a clothing store today…"

…

Koyomiko looked around. It was completely dark, save for the lights that lit up the park.

"Koharu-chan…I think we're lost…" Koyomiko said.

"I…I'm sorry…th-this was my fault…" Koharu's eyes watered up.

"Hey, no need to cry!!" Koyomiko said to her, bending down so she was at her level. "It's like my Kaa-san always says: no matter how hard it rains, the sun will always come out in the end."

It was at those words that Koyomiko suddenly missed her Mama and her Kaa-san. They had always been there… even if Koyomiko's past was a lie… they had been there for her when she needed them…

Koharu noticed that Koyomiko was looking at the ground…she was thinking deeply…

"Koyomiko-san?" Koharu asked.

This snapped Koyomiko out of it.

"Oh…oh, right!!" The smile was back on Koyomiko's face. "C'mon, let's go find your parents!!"

Koyomiko straightened up, and took Koharu's hand once more before walking further into the park.

…

At home, Tomo and Yomi were sitting on the couch. Every few seconds, Tomo would look at Koyomiko's still-closed door, only to turn back to the table. Yomi had specifically requested that Tomo stay away from Koyomiko's room…but even Yomi was getting anxious now to talk to her daughter…

"She's been awful quiet in there…" Yomi said.

"Yeahyourerightimgonnagocheckonher!!" Tomo said, standing straight up and walking hastely to Koyomiko's door.

Yomi sighed. Maybe keeping Tomo away like that had been a bad idea…

Yomi stood herself up, and walked over to the door Tomo stood at.

Tomo remained frozen…staring with complete fear…at the empty bed…and the window, who's curtains blew in the wind from outside.

Yomi, swallowing her own fear, grabbed Tomo's shoulders, and whipped her away from the sight.

"Tomo…listen to me…Koyomiko is a smart girl…she's probably with Osaka…right?" Yomi said.

Tomo's eyes slightly lit up, as she broke out of Yomi's grasp, and ran to the phone.

…

Chihiro sat…shaking from fear and from chill in her prison cell as two police officers sat nearby.

One was just to guard. The other was there because he had seen Chihiro faint…

"Hey, Inoue-san…" The officer said. "I can tell you're afraid…I can tell you're trying to withhold information…"

Chihiro remained silent, staring at the ground shivering.

"Do you know what it's like in a real prison?" The officer said. "You're made to get up every day early in the morning… you're forced to do what we tell you to…"

"Stop it…" Chihiro whispered, curling up.

"… and for the time that you spend in prison… you'll never be able to see your precious Kaorin" The officer said.

"Stop it." Chihiro said, more loudly this time.

"And you know… if we find out you've been withholding information…" The cop continued. "That's obstruction of justice… and you'll be in prison for even longer."

"STOP!!" Chihiro yelled, covering her ears.

"Then tell us what we need to know!!" The officer yelled.

The other officer nearby suddenly received something on his walkie.

"Sorry, but someone's here to pick her up." The officer said.

He opened the prison doors, and motioned for Chihiro to follow. Chihiro did so, but continued shaking heavily.

The interrogator had so badly wished he could have had a few more minutes with her… he could have easily cracked her mind within that time…

…

Koyomiko and Koharu continued their walk down through the park…

Ahead of them was the other side… along with a man wearing a huge overcoat.

Immediately, Koharu tensed up. That overcoat looked like it could conceal any amount of weapons underneath it.

Koyomiko and Koharu passed the man…

And then stopped.

"Hey!!" Koyomiko yelled as the man grabbed hold of her upper left arm.

"Better not make noise, little girl…wouldn't want the police to show up." The man said, brandishing a knife.

Koyomiko froze at the blade that came close to her…

The man's overcoat was suddenly ripped off of his form, revealing his slightly-built body.

The man and Koyomiko looked to see Koharu holding on to the overcoat, looking it over.

Koyomiko tried to feel her right hand…yeah, Koharu had gone missing. In her panic, she must have missed it.

"That was my favorite overcoat!!" The man growled.

He absentmindedly let go of Koyomiko, but soon realized his mistake, and grabbed Koyomiko by the collar before she could run.

Koyomiko was pulled in close, and now could feel the cold steel that was the knife at her neck.

"Where did you think you were going?" The man asked. He then yelled to Koharu. "Hey, kid!! C'mere before I kill your friend!!"

Koharu turned at the man, giving a cold, hard stare.

Koyomiko was confused. It wasn't the look that this innocent girl had been giving her all this time.

The man, however, seemed unaffected. "I said come here!!"

Koharu continued to stare, then tossed the overcoat aside, deciding it wasn't worth the effort.

"You don't want to listen to me?!" The man, as if to make a point, then took his knife, and slashed Koyomiko's arm.

Koyomiko would have screamed, had the man not covered her mouth to muffle it. His knife, now slightly bloody, went back to Koyomiko's neck. The deep gash in Koyomiko's arm began bleeding profusely.

"I said come here!!" The man yelled again.

Koharu, remaining cold and calm, slowly walked towards the man.

"You're going to pay for damaging my overcoat!!" The man said. He then whipped Koyomiko out of the way, and grabbed Koharu by the scruff of her shirt. He then took his knife, and slashed Koharu's left arm.

Koharu did not scream. In fact, she didn't even flinch.

Instead, she grabbed the wrist that held her scruff, and squeezed.

There was loud cracking, and the man howled in pain, dropping the knife from his hand, and letting go of Koharu's scruff.

Koharu then grabbed his neck with her left hand, squeezing off the man's breathing, and pulled him in close.

"This was my favorite shirt…" Koharu growled.

There was suddenly a strong scent in the air. Koharu looked down, and noticed the front of the man's pants had suddenly become wet.

"Foolish human…" Koharu said, looking back to the man's eyes. "Afraid of death? Afraid of what I can do to you so much so that you urinate yourself?"

The man was unable to respond. His face was turning blue.

Koharu did a half-turn, and lifted the man up.

"You will pay for the damaging my shirt." Koharu growled. "You worthless piece of scum."

And Koharu's right hand went back, and then forward. The man was slugged in the chin by Koharu, and sent him flying 50 feet into the air, before he started coming down…

…

"Well, looks like another uneventful night…" a police officer said, as he sat in his police car with another officer.

"You would think that maybe we would have at least seen something…considering what happened at that clothing store…" his buddy said.

BAM!! THUMP!!

Those noises had been that man that Koharu had sent flying. He had landed on the hood of the police car, then bounced off and landed hard on the cement.

"HOLY HELL!!" Both cops yelled. They looked down at the man, who remained unmoving on the ground.

One of the officers reached down and grabbed the radio-walkie while the other jumped out to check on the man.

"Station, this is officer Hachiro, we need a medical unit, we're on…"

…

Koharu just watched the man fly into the sky, then fall down onto the ground, hearing him hit something.

"And good riddance…" Koharu mumbled.

She then looked at her slashed arm, which had now bled onto her shirt.

Koharu let out a flurry of words no human could understand.

…

"It seems that Nephilim has picked up on our language…" X said as he watched the screen.

"And the curse words at that…I wonder who taught her those…" Y replied.

There was a silence among the three there. An embarrassed sort of silence.

…

Koharu put her shirt out of her mind, and instead turned back to Koyomiko.

Koyomiko was holding on to her bleeding arm, but was staring at Koharu with pure and utter terror in her eyes.

Koharu let out one more curse word before making her way to where Koyomiko sat, frightened.

"Too bad you witnessed that…" Koharu said coldly. "Now I have to kill you too…"

"No…no…" Koyomiko tried backing up from her ground position, but couldn't. The fear was building up inside her.

Koharu was upon her within seconds, and had the scruff of her shirt in her grip, pulling her close.

Koyomiko wanted to scream…but nothing would come up…

Suddenly, flashing red lights lit up the park, signaling to Koharu that someone else was there.

"Hmm… I guess you live for now…" Koharu said in a low voice. "But you tell anyone, and I mean ANYONE, about what I did…I'll kill you, and your whole family… slowly, and painfully. Get me?"

Koyomiko nodded, her eyes still wide in horror that she was being held by what seemed to be a professional cold-hearted killer in the body of a five-year-old child.

Koharu let her go, then looked at her own bleeding arm. She then covered it with her right hand, turned, and ran towards the police car.

Koyomiko was still too frightened to move.

One of the officers, Hachiro to be exact, turned to see a small girl hurtling towards their car.

"Say…Shiro..look at this girl.", Hachiro began, soon spotting the blood leaking from Koharu's arm as well as another bleeding girl behind her. "Oh my god!! Are you girls ok!?"

Koharu burst into a fit of tears, streaming them down her face as she sobbed.

"T-t-the bad man cut me and my friend!!", she moaned.

"Oh my god! Where the hell is that ambulance!?", Shiro growled, using his handkerchief to compress Koyomiko's arm wound while Hachiro did the same to Koharu's.

"What happened here?', Hachiro asked the two calmly, continuing to keep the unconscious man under close watch.

"That…that man attacked us and he cut us with his knife!" Koharu whimpered as Koyomiko stayed silent, tears dripping from her own eyes.

"But then how did he-", Hachiro was cut off by the whining sirens of the ambulance as it pulled up and the EMS unit disembarked.

"What's going on here?" the unit leader asked Hachiro as his subordinates scrambled their equipment.

"Well, these two girls here got assaulted by that man…", Hachiro noted the unconscious man who was now on a backboard. "..and they need stitches."

"Gotcha.", the leader nodded and moved his men around until the assailant was in the ambulance along with Koharu and Koyomiko. Two men kept watch on the man, lest he wake up and attack again while another kept the girls occupied with questions.

The man peppered Koyomiko about the details of the incident and she responded in a shaky tone; fearful of both her pain and Koharu beside her.

Koharu, on the other hand, turned her gaze to the fallen attacker. Humans were so weak and fragile. It was not even a pleasure to destroy him.

At that moment the man's eyelids fluttered and opened; his pupils searching until they landed on Koharu. The black spots immediately contracted in horror and Koharu grinned wildly, shushing him with a finger and a quick motion across her throat.

'_So simple to break their minds as well…'_

It was not long afterwards that they arrived at the hospital and the man was carted away while Koyomiko and Koharu were taken elsewhere and placed in a triage room together.

"Please stay here. A nurse will be with you shortly, girls.", the EMT said. "Are you ok, little girl?", he asked Koharu.

"I'm fine…", she said with a brave, yet still sheepish nod.

"Ok, I'll trust your friend to take care of you.", he smiled and turned to walk off.

No sooner was the man out of sight when Koharu turned to Koyomiko with a broad grin and a wild shine to her eyes.

"Goodbye. And remember…not a word of this to anyone."

With that she hopped off the triage table and took off into the hospital corridors.

Koyomiko, horrified, moved to the door but no sign of the small girl could be seen.

"Koharu….", she frightfully whispered. "Koharu!"

The girl was gone.

--

In another part of the hospital, at that same exact moment, Chiyo and Sakaki had sat down to talk with their daughter who was still confined to a hospital bed pending further study.

"Did you have a nice day, Kaede?", Chiyo questioned, smiling cheerfully.

"Yah!", Kaede giggled and hugged her teddy bear close.

"She's learning how to speak so well.", Sakaki noted proudly.

Yet in their minds the situation was still bordering on an absurd dream for the last they had seen of their daughter; she was dead as nothing more than a pile of bones and ruined flesh. But there she was right before them.

Her skin was warm; her eyes bright. Her laugh radiant.

Perfection incarnate. One could not ask nor dream for a better daughter.

Sakaki held out her hand and Kaede took it gleefully. Recently, she had learned how to walk properly and Sakaki and Chiyo now took every opportunity available to take strolls of the hospital grounds together as a family; simply enjoying the company of one another.

Kaede hopped to her feet, shuffling along beside her mothers as they left her confining room.

Chiyo turned to Sakaki and smiled once more, regarding the taller girl with bliss.

"I've never been happier, Sakaki."

"Neither have I, Chiyo…"

…

**Author's notes: Well, Jay helped me at the end, as you can probably tell (we have totally different writing styles). Anyway, we now leave you with a cliffhanger, as Koharu wonders the hospital with murderous intent!!**

**Back to Jay!!**


	7. That Which Should Not Exist

**Determination! JBK and I are going to finish this story!**

* * *

It was not so much a painful feeling as it was like the direction on a compass. The sensation gave Koharu a general idea of the location of her target based on intensity, but the range was problematic and often gave false results. Even so, her senses were honed to a degree that outweighed those of a normal human being. And at this moment, Koharu could feel the pressure in her head increase. Thusly, the hospital was worthy of a complete investigation.

She made her way past rooms housing those with broken bones and those with bruised minds. One elderly man was being tenderly cared for by his pleasantly-smiling wife who urged him to take his medication in a soothing tone.

This sight made Koharu giggle a bit. Humans were such silly, mindless creatures; ignorant of everything except their immediate surroundings. Had they no idea of the vast worlds that are inhabited just outside the range of vision?

No matter, her goal was not to evaluate the condition of the human psyche. She was put on this planet to destroy her targets utterly. Koharu knew she was an unstoppable force that the world had never seen previously. Tanks, missiles; they were naught before her highly-perfected genetic code.

And so she continued to plod through the corridors of the hospital, taking a quick glance in each room in an attempt to spot her target: Ho Mega Therion.

She peeked into one room, noticing a young girl that caught her eye. She was a girl no older than fifteen, sitting up in her hospital bed reading a campy romance novel. It made Koharu want to vomit.

Yet, Koharu had to scan each girl, taking in their respective intricacies to make sure she did not miss the Beast when she saw it.

This girl was not the enemy.

And so she moved onward, continuing to pry into the private rooms of patients. She passed by one, a red-headed girl lay in bed, cheerfully chatting with her parents: a tall, raven-haired beauty and a much smaller red-headed girl.

One moment Koharu simply did not give it another thought, the next she was forced into a double-take by her ingrained senses. Something, she was not entirely sure what to call it, told her that this girl in the bed, so calm and cheery, was her target.

It was almost as if her brain shut down. There were no formal thought patterns running through Koharu's mind any longer. Her vision narrowed and the area took on a crimson cast not unlike the blood she intended to spill.

Koharu's breathing became laboured and she quickly glanced about in a rage for the closest weapon. Nearby was a roller-cart of tools and supplies. She nabbed a scalpel, the perfect tool. One side of her wished to make quick work of Therion, her more carnal side pushed her to take her time; slowly dismembering and making sure the death of her great enemy was long and painful.

The red-haired monstrosity was so carefree, lying in bed and giggling at the antics of her bastard parents. These thoughts were what drove Koharu deeper into her blood-rage. Her innocence enraged Koharu.

'_How dare she lie there as if she is not some monster! She is unworthy to be so content! She should suffer for what she has done!'_

Stepping into the doorway, she pulled her arm back, scalpel at the ready, and flung it end-over-end toward the red-haired girl's trachea. She watched it spin and it seemed the girl did not notice the presence of either Koharu or the knife until it stuck into the wall millimetres above her head.

She cast her eyes upward curiously as Koharu inwardly cursed herself in the alien language of the Dagon. She could not imagine how it was possible that she had failed in her throw.

Then the girl began to giggle and clap her hands.

'_Does she think this is some joke!?'_, Koharu raged.

The parents of the Beast took notice of the situation immediately and advanced upon Koharu, the taller one regarding her with grim, powerful eyes.

"What are you doing!?", Chiyo insisted. "You could have hurt her!"

Koharu simply glared back with malice. She was in no position to tell them any truths. In fact, she knew that she could easily overpower even the taller of the parents. No threat whatsoever.

"I am only doing what must be done!", Koharu said, finishing her speech with a rabid grin and levelling her palm into Chiyo's stomach, sending her reeling across the room and crashing into the metal IV supports.

Sakaki gasped and reached for Koharu, her intentions mysterious even to her. Yet, she never managed to take hold as Koharu easily countered her grip and sent her sailing in the same direction as Chiyo, even so far as to land in a heap atop the smaller girl. Both lie incapacitated, leaving Koharu open to do the deed she was built to do.

Without a word, she approached Kaede, who was now snuffling with tears. She tore the IV out of her right arm, causing Kaede to yelp with pain, and grabbed her arm. She dragged Kaede from the bed and, even though Kaede tried her best to protest her capture, Koharu would have none of it and simply used her superior strength to pull her onward.

"Naaa!", Kaede wailed as she was dragged down the corridor, past nurses and doctors who looked upon her suspiciously.

"Excuse me, little girl.", Said a doctor, addressing Koharu. "May I ask what you are doing?"

Koharu turned and regarded the man, doing her best do draw away the violent intent that had painted her face.

"Taking my Onee-san home. She can be child-like sometimes. Don't worry.", and she closed her statement with a forced smile.

"Umm..okay…", the doctor mumbled, looking away a moment to peruse his papers. "What is her patient num-"

When he looked up the two had gone. Whichever direction he looked, there was no sign they had ever been there in the first place.

"Well, she's only a little girl..", the doctor muttered to himself to allay his frayed nerves,

Meanwhile, Koharu had dragged Kaede down an ill-used corridor to a window that overlooked the filthy back alleyway of the hospital. It was no more than a few feet above the ground; no real danger to Koharu's plan.

"Wha?", Kaede questioned, seemingly horrified of the window.

"Out!", Koharu growled, hefting Kaede effortlessly onto her shoulders and vaulting from the open window.

"Eek!", Kaede squealed, giggling as Koharu touched down.

Koharu then bodily dragged the kicking girl past the bank of hospital windows and into a side passage that led to a large rubbish bin that stunk of rotting meat. It was the bin for the hospital kitchen.

With a single hand she swung Kaede from behind her to the front, pressing her brutally with all her strength into the brick wall beside the rubbish bin. She gazed directly into Kaede's soft eyes and grimaced, baring her teeth.

"You deserve to die slowly.", she growled harshly, digging her elbow further into Kaede's stomach.

"A-AHH!", Kaede groaned with pain, writhing to escape the inhuman grasp of a girl far smaller than her.

Then she began to cry, the tears welled in her eyes and dripped in crystalline streams down her cheeks. To Koharu, this sight was pathetic.

"You're supposed to be the Beast! How dare you cry!", she hissed, driving her fist into Kaede's midsection, causing the girl to buckle over and weep even more copiously.

"Aya….Aya!", Kaede wailed, curled up like a foetus; the irony lost to both girls.

"Get up and fight me!", Koharu demanded, directing a vicious kick to Kaede's ribs. Audibly, the crack of breaking bone could be heard.

Kaede's whines increased as she clutched her chest, heaving for breath.

Koharu could stand it no longer. She would rip the pathetic head off this Beast and display it for the world to see. She was making right what was wrong with this girl. She was not meant to live. Death was her only true destiny.

As she reached down to twist the neck of this poor girl, a quick buzz filled her senses. At that point, she straightened herself and cast her eyes to the sky. Her masters were calling.

"Yes?", she muttered. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"You fool, Nephilim!", X shouted. "You have the wrong girl! Think of the scene you have caused!"

Koharu was struck flat by the revelation. She mulled it over in her mind and cast her gaze across the prone girl who was lying on the gravel, moaning and clutching her blasted chest.

There was no possible way….The girl before her was too odd _not_ to be Ho Mega Therion.

"Where is she then?", Koharu questioned, holding back her immediate intent to question her masters, which was not prudent. She was unswerving.

"We cannot be certain exactly where, but she is within the precincts of the hospital.", Y's voice chimed in. "Now get back inside and find your target before she moves on, Nephilim! There will be _NO FAILURE_!"

"Yes, Sir.", Koharu intoned. "No failure."

With a final glance back at the broke, whimpering girl at her feet, she turned and dashed back toward the hospital.

There was only one goal: To eliminate that which should not exist.


	8. A Capital Decision

**By JBK~ Enjoy!**

* * *

Koharu re-entered the hospital, and started running. Her eyes quickly scanned each room as she ran by them, but she could only spot the sickly or wounded lying in each bed.

'_Where was the Therion?_' She continued to wonder…

She ran by that same doctor that had questioned her before.

"Hey!!" The doctor yelled out, but Koharu continued straight on past him.

The doctor was now concerned… yet at the same time, knew of his commitment to his other patients.

So, as he continued on, he stopped by a nurse's station.

"Call security, tell them we have a child running through back here."

…

Koharu stopped in the room that had once housed the child she mistook for the monster.

The two girls she had knocked out still lay on the ground, though they were just coming to…

Koharu quickly analyzed the situation… the older girl seemed more of a motherly figure, but also seemed like some sort of lone wolf… keeping too much to herself to be able to know anything.

The girl under her, however, looked smart… like someone who might know something.

Koharu quickly approached the two fallen girls, grabbed Sakaki's collar with one hand, and did an over-the-head fling, sending the tall girl flying across the room like she was a rag doll.

She then picked up the frightened Chiyo in the same manner… though Chiyo was slammed up against the wall.

"Where is she?!" Koharu demanded.

"Wh-what? Wh-who?!" Chiyo asked, the fear overtaking her whole body.

"Don't play stupid me with me!! Where is Ho Mega Therion?!" Koharu demanded.

Sakaki's eyes went WIDE. She hadn't heard that name in five years… yet with just those words, all of it came flooding back.

"Why…" she whispered.

Koharu glared back at the tall girl.

"Why? Sh-she's…powerless…" Sakaki said in her quiet tone.

"Do not play coy with me." Koharu shot back. "She is a monster who must be destroyed before she goes about destroying galaxies. I'm assuming, then, that you know where she is?"

PUNCH!!

Chiyo's hand, which had connected with Koharu's stomach, felt like it had hit solid concrete. It throbbed in pain as she pulled it back and held on to it.

Koharu, however, had felt it, and looked back with a look a killer gives right before doing the evil deed he intends to do.

"You call that a punch?"

Chiyo had that feeling that this was the end…

…

In the next room, a man walked in to the room of his bedridden wife.

"Hey, honey… I brought you some flowers." He said.

"Oh, sweetie… thank you." She replied happily.

CRASH!!!

The woman screamed as Chiyo came flying right through the wall and then lay motionless on the floor.

"CHIYO, NO!!!!!" Sakaki screamed.

Koharu turned her attention back to Sakaki. "Where is she?"

Call it fate, but just then, a security guard came running into the room. He took one look at the hole in the wall, and drew his gun at the small child.

"Alright, kid… I don't know what steroids they've put you on, but fun time is over."

Koharu glared at him. "If you value your life, you will leave me to do my business."

Sakaki took the opportunity to crawl close to the guard. After all, he had the gun and was trying to protect her…

Koharu stepped closer…

"Don't move, or I'll shoot!!"

Looking at the guard and deciding he wasn't a big threat, Koharu stepped closer…

BANG!!!

Koharu's head whiplashed back, and she fell to the ground.

Sakaki stared at the body… she almost wanted to throw up…

"OWWWWW!!!"

Sakaki's eyes went wide again…

As Koharu turned over, and got up, but stumbled away, holding her head.

The guard was just about as stunned as Sakaki was.

"That hurt!!!" Koharu put two fingers to her forehead as if she were trying to pop a pimple. Very slowly, the bullet that had hit her popped out, and she began to bleed.

Koharu looked back at the stunned guard. Her rage was rather seething that this overweight human would dare to hurt her…

"You dropped this."

Putting all her strength into it, she hurled the bullet right at the guard.

The bullet went straight through the guard's body armor, and into his body.

The guard fell straight down to the ground, his blood already trickling out of the wound.

Sakaki screamed… and Koharu began her march at her once more.

…

Meanwhile, unaware of everything that was happening, Kagura, Osaka, Chihiro, and Kaorin rode on in Osaka's vehicle.

Kagura was rather surprised at Osaka's ability to actually stay focused on her driving. Not once had she suddenly focused on something else, thus forcing Kagura to grab the wheel.

The uneventful day ended with Kaorin and Chihiro being dropped off back at their apartment, and Osaka and Kagura headed home.

It was then that Osaka's phone rang.

"Kagura, ya wanna get tha' please? Ah'm drivin'" Osaka said, her eyes locked on the road.

"Oh yeah, sure…" Kagura said. She opened up the phone and answered. "Hello?"

"Ah, Kagura!" Tomo said. "What're you doin' with Osaka's phone?"

"She's driving…" Kagura mentioned.

"Really? And she's not crashing? Erg… wait, forget that! Look, where are you guys?"

"We're headed over to her house…" Kagura said.

"You close to the Tokyo hospital?"

"Erm… yeah, I think so… we just dropped Kaorin and Chihiro off…" Kagura covered the phone. "Hey, Osaka, where's the Tokyo hospital?"

"It's abou' five minutes away from here." Osaka said, in an almost drill-sergeant-like manner.

"Ah…" Kagura went back to talking with Tomo. "We're about five minutes away from there. Why, what's up?"

"We just got a call saying Koyomiko ended up there somehow… could you please get her?"

There was a quiet pause. If it was the last thing that Kagura wanted to do, it was have to pick up that child…

"Kagura? Please… she's our child… and we're almost 20 minutes away…"

"Fine… we'll do it." Kagura said in a tone that sounded less-than-happy.

"Thank you!!!" And Tomo hung up.

"The things I do for friends…" Kagura grumbled. "Osaka, we need to go to the Tokyo hospital."

"Why? We're not bleedin'…"

Kagura sweat-dropped. Even while driving, Osaka was still Osaka, deep down.

…

Sakaki ran through the hospital, fleeing for her life, the tears streaming down her face. Chiyo was probably dead, as was Kaede, after just having been reborn…

She stopped for a moment and looked back… Koharu was no where to be seen.

How could anyone be so heartless?! What's more, the Dagon had promised to leave the planet, and all of them, in peace!! Why would they go back on their promise?!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

A woman's scream broke Sakaki out of her trance as she looked back. The woman that had screamed was suddenly slammed up against the wall and fell to the ground, out cold.

Koharu rounded the corner, staring the tall girl down.

"WHERE IS SHE?!?!"

Sakaki's eyes went wide, and she fled again.

Just as she rounded a corner, a knife stuck into the wall behind her.

Sakaki ran and ran… not sure where she was going as the hospital rooms seemed to go on endlessly…

She rounded another corner… and stopped.

"KAEDE!!!"

The tall orange-haired teenager was crawling on the ground in nothing but her hospital garb. The tears continued to fall down her face.

"Kaede!! You're alive!!!" Sakaki squealed, running up to her and kneeling down.

She went to put her arm around Kaede…

"AAAAH!!!" Kaede screamed out in pain as Sakaki's hand went on the spot where her ribs had broken.

"Oh no…" Sakaki gasped. With Kaede in pain, and Koharu on her way to find her…

Sakaki thought quickly, and grabbed Kaede by the arms, and dragged her into a nearby room, lying her down on the floor.

"Kaede… stay." Sakaki said, putting her hand up to signal 'stop'.

Sakaki then fled out the room.

"AAH!" Kaede cried, reaching out as Sakaki fled.

Just then… Koharu walked by the room.

Kaede went quiet. Now she understood… and she remained absolutely still.

…

Kagura and Osaka pulled up to the hospital…

Just as a few squad cars also did.

"Hey, I'm going to have to ask you to move your car!" One officer yelled as he got out. "We've got a situation in there!"

Kagura's mind immediately jumped to Koyomiko…

"A situation?! That damn child!!" Kagura jumped out and ran in, acting on pure instinct.

"Ah!! Kagura-san!!" Osaka yelled. She quickly put the vehicle back into drive and went to find a parking spot.

…

Where was that exit?!

Sakaki continued her fleeing… she was hoping that Kaede had listened to her… and had remained out of the grip of that evil girl.

Then… she felt pain in her right leg.

"AAAH!!!" Sakaki face-planted into the ground and skidded a bit before stopping.

Sakaki stopped and looked at her right leg. There was a scalpel in her leg, stabbed deep in.

Koharu, standing at the end of the long hallway, gave an evil grin.

"Finally… your speed is of no use to you now!!"

Koharu made her way down the hall. The pain in Sakaki's leg couldn't even be felt anymore, the fear was once again taking hold…

"Sakaki!!"

A familiar voice made Sakaki's head whirl in that direction.

"KAGURA!!! Run, get away!!!" Sakaki screamed.

Koharu stared at the newcomer… and almost seemed to get angry. "What is it with you humans?! Why can't you just leave me to accomplish my mission?!"

"Hey, why don't you fight with your fists rather than your high-tech weapons, huh?! Coward!!" Kagura yelled, obviously unaware that Koharu had been fighting with her fists all along.

But the word 'coward' unleashed some strange new feeling within Koharu she couldn't explain. No longer was her mission her top priority… instead… she wanted to prove to this human female that she was no coward.

"I haven't been using any sort of the weapons that my masters use… I use my fists… and ONLY my fists!" Koharu snarled.

"Oh yeah?! Prove it!!" Kagura said, taking a fighting stance.

"Oh… I'll prove it…" Koharu said, punching her fist into her empty hand as she headed for Kagura.

"I'm usually not one to hit a kid…" Kagura said. "So instead…"

KICK!!

"What the…?!"

Koharu had caught Kagura's leg… her full-fledged kick had been caught by this kid…

Koharu swung Kagura around by her leg, spinning her around before letting go, where she then flew into a wall and fell to the ground.

"Hmph… fool. I am Nephilim… an unstoppable being!!" Koharu said. "And I'm no coward."

"Heheh… oh yeah?" Amazingly, Kagura stood herself back up. "Is that all you got? Your throws are kinda wimpy."

Koharu's fists clenched.

"I'll make you regret those words…"

"No!! Kagura, stop this!!!" Sakaki screamed.

"Sakaki, get yourself out of here!!!" Kagura yelled. "I'll take her on!!"

"Don't you dare leave, tall wolf!!" Koharu said, pointing to Sakaki. "If you do, I'll kill both of those that you love!!"

Sakaki froze up…

"RAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Kagura charged, taking full force, and hitting Koharu with a hard kick.

Koharu's was sent rolling from the force of the kick…

"Owowow!!!" Kagura yelped, holding her foot that had kicked Koharu. "What's that kid made of, frickin' brick?!"

Koharu stood up, and rubbed a bit of dirt from her chin.

"No… I'm made of something far better… something that is made to withstand large amounts of damage."

And with that, Koharu charged, and grabbed both of Kagura's legs. She began digging her fingers into the legs she held.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!" Kagura screamed. She tried punching Koharu's head with her balled up fists, but all it did was make her fists hurt, and Koharu's head move from the force…

"S-Sakaki…s-san…"

A heavily breathing Osaka came running past Kagura… obviously out of breath.

"Wh-what'cha doin' with a knife in your leg? Were ya playin' doctor or somethin'?"

"Osaka, get Sakaki out of here!!!" Kagura screamed, continuing to pound Koharu's head.

"I think that's enough fun for now."

Koharu pulled both legs out from underneath Kagura, causing her to fall to the floor.

She then picked up Kagura by the hair on her head, and slammed her face-first against the wall.

There was a sickening cracking noise as this happened.

Koharu let go of Kagura's hair, and Kagura fell to the ground, just like all the others that had been harmed in Koharu's rage and fury.

"OH MAH GOD!!!!" Osaka screamed.

"And you have caused me enough trouble, tall wolf… I was going to torture you to find out Ho Mega Therion's location, but now… I'll just kill you and find her myself."

"WAAAH!!! AH'M GONNA DIE!!!" Osaka wailed. "There were so many things ah haven't done yet in life… ah never even kissed…"

Koharu stood by the two, her imposing figure freezing them up.

"O-Osaka… a-at least… I can help you… before we die…" Sakaki mumbled, tears in her eyes.

"Wh-what can ya help me with, Sakaki-san?" Osaka asked, fear gripping her.

Sakaki's gentle hand touched Osaka's cheek, and turned Osaka's face towards her own…

And their lips met in a gentle, but passionate kiss.

"EWWWW!!! GROSS!!!" Koharu yelled, having to turn away. "Ugh… all the bacteria in the human mouth… disgusting…"

But within that moment, the small scar on Sakaki's middle finger gave a glow near Osaka's head.

…

"Hrm? WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!" X yelled.

The screen he had been watching of Nephilim's location and destruction suddenly went black.

"ARRRRRGH!!!! STATUS REPORT!!!"

"Sir!!" Y yelled out. "I am looking at the radar… it seems like something is causing interference…"

"What would cause interference to these devices?! They are the most high-tech devices in the whole universe!!!" Z yelled from across the room.

"I don't know… but something within the area around Nephilim is blocking our radar!"

X began heavy breathing. "How… could that… be happening?! Grrr… Pull Nephilim back to this ship!!! I want to speak with her now!!!"

"We cannot!! We cannot even sense her presence!!! The whole area in which she is in is being jammed by something!!!" Y yelled.

"Sir, we are picking up a strange message from that area!!" Z yelled. "I shall put it up on screen!"

X looked at the screen as it came on… and if Dagon could somehow look confused, X certainly made it possible.

"What…is this?"

…

"Ok, that's just gross!! I'm ending this now!!" Koharu said, turning back.

She went over, grabbed Sakaki's collar, and was about to punch Sakaki's face in…

When a large, looming shadow caught her attention.

"Oh, what no-"

With Koharu frozen mid-sentence, Sakaki and Osaka could only stare in astonishment…

And what was before them spoke up.

"YO!"

…

X and Y watched the screen above them…

"Merry Christmas! I am government sponsored! My sleigh can fly at Mach 100!!"

"Have either of you… seen anything like this before?" X asked.

"N-Never, sir." Y said.

"Never even heard of anything like this, sir…" Z added.

X stared at the creature… and uttered one word.

"Strange…"

* * *

Author's notes: The whole idea to include Chiyo-chichi in this story was actually brought about when I re-watched the Azumanga Daioh anime and re-read the whole manga too. What better way to bring in a sci-fi element than with Chiyo-chichi?

Stay tuned for the next chapter!!


End file.
